Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib: Umar Nurmagomedov will expose ‘nervous’ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311

Khabib Nurmagomedov firmly believes Umar will show out and expose Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defends [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s title shot at UFC 311.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Dvalishvili was never sold on Nurmagomedov as the No. 1 contender and wanted more time to prepare for his first title defense. His discontent was evident during the recent UFC 311 pre-fight press conference, and Nurmagomedov thinks the pressure of being champion has already gotten to “The Machine.”

“This is his problem, Merab’s problem,” Nurmagomedov said in a recent press conference (h/t Red Corner MMA). “I think when he was beginning his career, he was acting good. When he became champion, he cannot deal with this because life changing. Before champion and after champion there is two life. You have to deal with this.

“About Umar (getting a) gift, Umar is 18-0, and he’s on a six-fight win streak in the UFC, and they gave him a very tough opponent in his last fight, five-round main event vs. Cory Sandhagen. I think Umar deserve. I don’t know why Merab nervous. Umar here not because he is my cousin. He’s here because he’s 18-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. Umar wants to create his legacy. He will show January 18. He will show why Merab nervous.”

Dvalishvili’s complaints stem from the fact that Nurmagomedov only has one ranked win en route to a title shot – a unanimous decision against Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 headliner in August.

[lawrence-related id=2792646,2792328,2792047,2790908]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Khabib Nurmagomedov urges ‘old school’ UFC lightweights like Dustin Poirier to retire

Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks it’s time for various UFC lightweights to call it a career.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] thinks it’s time for various UFC lightweights to call it a career.

Nurmagomedov specifically pointed out former foe [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], who’s coming off a title loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June. Nurmagomedov also holds a win over Poirier, submitting him in their Septemeber 2019 title fight at UFC 242.

Although Nurmagomedov watched Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) put up a solid effort against his protoge Makhachev, “The Eagle” had some harsh advice for him and other top lightweight contenders.

“I think Poirier can beat Charles (Oliveira), and I think Poirier has to stop fighting. He’s finished,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “Justin Gaethje, Khabib, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson. This is old school, brother. Stop fighting. We have to recognize the real things.”

Poirier teased one more fight before hanging up his gloves. UFC CEO Dana White also recently confirmed that the promotion is currently working on his potential retirement fight.

Nurmagomedov’s words shouldn’t come as a surprise. The former undefeated UFC lightweight champion walked away early in many people’s minds after he notched his third title defense against Justin Gaethje in October 2020. Nurmagomedov made a promise to his mother that he would no longer compete without his late father in his corner. He was only 32 when he retired.

[lawrence-related id=2775514,2766508,2766510,2766509]

Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘My heart is not OK’ with Islam Makhachev fighting Belal Muhammad

Khabib Nurmagomedov would rather not see UFC champions Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad fight.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] would rather not see UFC champions [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] fight each other.

UFC lightweight champ Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) is eager to move up to welterweight to chase dual-champ status, but with Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) as the current welterweight champ, his plans have been put on hold. Muhammad has trained with Team Nurmagomedov on numerous occasions. “The Eagle” admits he’d be uncomfortable helping Makhachev prep for Muhammad.

“If they had asked me to fight with Belal when I was an active fighter, (I would have said) no,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman. “But for example, Belal and Islam, OK, you have to talk with them. My heart – my heart is not OK. It would be hard to prepare Islam to beat Belal.”

Nurmagomedov, who cornered Muhammad for his TKO win over Sean Brady at UFC 280, admits that it wouldn’t be easy to game plan for the welterweight champion, who has gone unbeaten in his past 11 fights.

“I don’t think that it’s ever going to happen,” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev vs. Muhammad. “For me, it’s going to be very hard to prepare somebody to beat Belal. If you want to beat Belal, I think you have to stop him. Without a stoppage, it’s going to be very hard. What are you going to do?

“OK, if you take him down, it’s very hard to control him for 25 minutes, first of all. Second, it’s very hard to dominate him on striking game in all 25 minutes because he mixes it up. He doesn’t stay with you all 25 minutes. He wrestles and strike, wrestle and strike. He is good.”

Instead, Nurmagomedov suggests Muhammad fight Kamaru Usman, if the “Nigerian Nightmare” can rebound with a big win.

“I think I want to see that fight (Muhammad vs. Usman),” Nurmagomedov said. “I want to see it because Kamaru deserves this. People can say whatever they want. Kamaru deserves this fight. Of course, there is Shavkat (Rakhmonov) on the line, but I think if Kamaru beats one guy, somebody like Jack Della Maddalena, he could fight for the title.”

[lawrence-related id=2788241,2707326,2743631,2745253]

Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to UFC champ Ilia Topuria’s planned move to lightweight

Khabib Nurmagomedov would like to see UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria earn his title shot at lightweight if he moves up.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] would like to see UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] earn his title shot at lightweight if he moves up to the division.

Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) teased a move up to 155 pounds and called for a fight with Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC). If he can get past a former champion like that, then Nurmagomedov wouldn’t mind his protoge, current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, giving him a shot.

“I think if he moves up and he beats somebody like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira then he’s next in line. Why not? Because there is nobody,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman.

However, Nurmagomedov is against Topuria getting an immediate title shot. He already witnessed Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) get criticized for making his first two title defenses against former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

“Without fighting at 155? No, I don’t agree,” Nurmagomedov said of a Topuria title shot. “Because Islam already gave a chance. People talk bad about like, ‘Oh, he fought two times against Volkanovski,’ but the UFC pushed that fight, and the first fight was good.

“But why does Islam have to give three times chance for the 145-pound champion? Why? It’s not fair for 155 pounds, but if he (Topuria) moves up and beats somebody like Charles Oliveira, then of course. You know what I think? I think he can beat him.”

Makhachev’s next title defense comes in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, which headlines UFC 311 (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

[lawrence-related id=2792648,2792550,2792507,2792504]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Dan Hooker on the ‘myth’ of fighting Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] believes [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) experienced it first hand when he faced current lightweight champion Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 267 in October 2021. He was submitted in the first round.

When discussing Charles Oliveira, who was dropped and submitted by Makhachev in their title fight at UFC 280, Hooker explained the mental battle of going up against dominant fighters like Makhachev and Nurmagomedov.

“The myth of it is bigger than the actual task, and they kind of ride off the back of the myth of Khabib, and that’s bled into Makhachev, and you can see it,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “It definitely affected me. It’s bigger than the actual guy. If you just boil it down to the actual guy, it makes it quite a bit simpler.”

Makhachev is expected to make his next title defense in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, which is being discussed as the UFC 311 headliner Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. In their first fight, which was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, Makhachev outgrappled him in a back-and-forth battle.

Hooker predicts their rematch to have a more definitive ending.

“Islam (is) very defensively sound on the feet,” Hooker said. “And I feel like once he has more time to study and break down Arman’s counter-wrestling, I think it will be a more dominant win for Islam in the second fight.”

Since losing to Makhachev, Hooker has won three of his past four, most recently edging out Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August.

[lawrence-related id=2622891,2616803,1507880,1502954]

Aljamain Sterling: Umar Nurmagomedov shouldn’t ride cousin Khabib’s coattails

Aljamain Sterling thinks Umar Nurmagomedov needs to earn his own stripes in the UFC.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] believes [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] needs to earn his stripes.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), cousin of former undefeated UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], was declared No. 1 contender after defeating Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 main event this past August. Sandhagen marked Nurmagomedov’s first ranked opponent.

Sterling’s training partner, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), is having a hard time acknowledging Nurmagomedov as his next title challenger. Dvalishvili says he’s been fast tracked, and Sterling thinks that’s largely in part due to being Khabib’s cousin.

“I’m not saying he’s not good,” Sterling said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I love Umar. I think Umar is a great guy, but facts are the facts. I don’t care what your cousin has done. That does not have any bearing on what you have done for the sport. You’ve got to cut your teeth in this game, not riding the coattails of your family’s merit.

“I always say if I have kids, I want to make sure they’re not riding off the coattails of what I do or have done in my life. I want to make sure they’re out there, they’re being go-getters. I think anyone with any type of real self-worth would want to do that, earn their keep. You don’t want to be feeling like the person who’s just here because you were handed an invite vs. actually earning to be at the table. Earn your seat at the table.”

Dvalishvili had to win 10 fights in a row before earning his shot at the title. He dethroned Sean O’Malley to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 306, and despite telling MMA Junkie that he’d be willing to rematch O’Malley in November over Nurmagomedov, “The Machine” clarified that he’ll end up fighting whoever the UFC offers.

Nurmagomedov is eager to fight before Ramadan, which is expected to start at end of February. If Dvalishvili isn’t ready by then, Nurmagomedov is willing to fight once more, and has been linked to a potential matchup with Song Yadong at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.

[lawrence-related id=2781477,2779090,2778791,2778537]

Daniel Cormier recalls when Khabib Nurmagomedov took issue with him being ‘chummy’ with Conor McGregor

Daniel Cormier values Khabib Nurmagomedov’s loyalty.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] values [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s loyalty.

Former UFC champions Cormier and Nurmagomedov spent years training together at American Kickboxing Academy. Throughout their careers, both partook in two of the biggest rivalries in UFC history.

Cormier and Jon Jones’ bad blood was well documented, and “DC” still doesn’t see a world where they can completely bury the hatchet. Jones heaped praise on Nurmagomedov, and included him in his top five greatest fighters list.

Nurmagomedov respects Jones’ achievements, but said he can’t be friends with him because of his conflict with Cormier (h/t Bloody Elbow). Upon hearing that, Cormier understood just why Nurmagomedov wasn’t happy with him once having a friendly encounter with his arch rival [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

“We as Americans, we as a culture, we don’t abide by those same rules all the time,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “If you are in such a great conflict with someone, as my friend, we as Americans may not see the need to kind of fall in line and feel or operate in the same way. Conor McGregor, who I met back in the day – he was at a couple of fights, and we’ve always been cordial with each other. I don’t really know Conor very well. Khabib and Conor were cordial in the beginning, also, but it became so nasty now that there was that massive build to the fight, the way the fight ended, everything.

“I saw Conor McGregor in Abu Dhabi. I don’t know who he was fighting – maybe it was Dustin Poirier. We were shaking hands, and we were talking a little bit, and were very kind of chummy. And Khabib was like, ‘Brother, I don’t understand this.’ He said, ‘If I see Conor with his wife, I’ll shake his hand because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but brother …’ And I initially kind of fought it, but people close to me said, “He’s right. Look at the stance he’s taken in regards to everyone you deal with. Why in the world would you not take that same stance?'”

Since then, Cormier says he’s taken Nurmagomedov’s words into regard and has changed his attitude toward McGregor.

“I don’t try to request McGregor for interviews,” Cormier continued. “I don’t think that I would get him, but I’m just saying it’s not a request I make every time I’m there. But it’s like par for the course for these dudes because honestly, Khabib’s not just a teammate, he’s family, and they’re like that with everyone.

“And they feel like if someone’s in conflict, especially at the level that Jones and I were in conflict, they’re very stern in the side they pick, and it’s kind of refreshing because most people aren’t like that, guys. They’re just not – especially us as Americans. So watching that wasn’t crazy for me. Dude, he really is the man. Khabib is the man. He’s got to be one of the most genuine humans I’ve ever met, and I don’t know if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for this dude.”

[lawrence-related id=2761334,2746103,2709915,2630762]

Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why UFC fans won’t ever miss him in the cage

Khabib Nurmagomedov again insists there’s no chance he will ever fight, but don’t worry about that.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] insists there’s no chance he will ever return to fighting.

Nurmagomedov, the former undefeated UFC lightweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer, continuously gets asked if he’d contemplate coming out of retirement, but he heavily dismissed that possibility once again.

Nurmagomedov retired in October 2020 after submitting Justin Gaethje to retain his lightweight title. While many wonder what could have been if “The Eagle” continued fighting, Nurmagomedov said there’s no need. He plans on having his legacy live through his proteges, which has already seen [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] claim the UFC lightweight title and defend it three times.

“If you guys need champions, I’m helping my brothers to become champions,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with iNews. “We have Islam as a champion, we have Umar (Nurmagomedov) as next contender, we have Usman (Nurmagomedov) as champion. We have a lot of champions. You guys are never going to miss me because, in our team and our gym, we create champions. You guys are always going to have champions, don’t worry.”

In an  interview with Ushatayka, Nurmagomedov revealed that Makhachev is looking at January for his next title defense. He didn’t reveal the opponent, but it is expected to be a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, whom he defeated by decision in April 2019.

“Islam is now not only a champion, he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” Nurmagomedov said. “UFC offered us a fight already, in January. We accepted it.”

[lawrence-related id=2769304,2768001,2766508,2766509]

Ailin Perez declares herself ‘Khabib Nurmagomedov of the women’s divisions’ after UFC Fight Night 243

Ailin Perez won, twerked, and called herself the Khabib Nurmagomedov of the UFC women’s divisions.

When all is said and done, [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] wants to be viewed in the same light as one of the all-time UFC greats.

At UFC Fight Night 243, Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) submitted [autotag]Dariya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) for her fourth promotional win – all in a row. The fight took place on Saturday’s prelims at Accor Arena in Paris and was immediately followed by a twerking celebration.

Her main plan of attack throughout her career has been to drag her opponents down to the ground and figuratively drown them into a TKO or submission. Given their similarities in that regard, Perez continues to be inspired by one UFC legend in particular.

“Is there any doubt? I’m the [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] of the women’s divisions,” Perez said at a post-fight news conference (via Buiten De Kooi). “Every single fight that I’ve had in the UFC, I’ve taken the fighters down. That shows it.”

Perez said she’s seen Nurmagomedov from afar, but never has spoken with him directly. She hopes that changes sometime in the future.

“I’d love to actually speak and meet Khabib,” Perez said. “I’ve seen him a couple times in the PI and being a corner. The couple times I saw him, he looked pretty serious. So I’m hoping one day he sees me and he gives me a smile back.”

[lawrence-related id=2774954,2774945]

From all vantage points, there’s a lot of work to be done before Perez’s name can appear in the same chapter of the UFC’s history book as Khabib’s. In order to take one step closer, Perez knows she’ll need to start racking up wins over notable names.

“Ultimately, the goal is to get from here to the top 10,” Perez said. “But at this point, I’m not going to ask for any names and specifics. I know everyone knows who the top 15 names are. Mick Maynard is doing a great job offering me the right fights for me to win. At this point, I’m just going to take whatever they offer me, and I’m going to keep winning.”

“… I’m really tired of calling all these girls out from the weight class, just for them to try to avoid me or run away. At this point, I’m in the top 15. I have a big name. Anyone who wants to fight me, they know who to ask and that’s Mick Maynard – or the fans.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport’

Khabib Nurmagomedov envisions big things for his Bellator MMA champion cousin.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] envisions big things for his cousin [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Nurmagomedov (17-0) defends his lightweight title against Alexander Shabliy (24-3) in the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego headliner Saturday at Pechanga Arena.

Khabib will be in the corner of Usman, the younger brother of top UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

“Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport,” Khabib said in a video posted by Bellator MMA. “Usman is young generation from our gym. Him and me was trained by my father, and now I train him. We spend years and years together in gyms, like, more than 15 years.

“He always was, like, so competitive. That’s why he’s still undefeated, that’s why he’s Bellator lightweight world champion and he defend his title. Next fight he will show and he will prove why he’s one of the best in the world right now.”

[lawrence-related id=2767392,2767038,2761112]

Usman told MMA Junkie he plans on mauling Shabliy and have Khabib wrap the belt around his waist. On paper, Shabliy is expected by many experts to be the toughest test of Usman’s career. Shabliy is on a nine-fight winning streak, including wins over Brent Primus, Tofiq Musayev, and Patricky Pitbull.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.