Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov vows to ‘maul’ Alexandr Shabliy, have Khabib ‘put the belt around my waist’ at Bellator San Diego

Usman Nurmagomedov will have Khabib in his corner for the first time since becoming champion at Bellator Champion Series: San Diego.

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] couldn’t be happier with his preparation for the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego main event, and he thinks it’s going to result in a dominant performance.

Nurmagomedov (17-0) returns to competition for the first time in 11 months Saturday when he puts his lightweight championship on the line against Alexandr Shabliy (24-3) at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif. The entire card streams on Max.

The longest break of Nurmagomedov’s career was a result of a suspension from the California State Athletic Commission after he tested for a banned substance that resulted in his Bellator 300 win over Brent Primus being overturned. He took a prescription medication he claims unknowingly contained a substance that led to the positive test, but has maintained his innocence against any attempt to cheat for performance-enhancing purposes.

With the difficult moment behind him, Nurmagomedov is now looking ahead. He spent the final month of his training camp at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., and is ready to get back to doing what he does best.

“I love this place because it’s one hour (flight) from San Diego, where I will fight,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “It’s a very good place for training. Very good people around me. Javier (Mendez), Khabib (Nurmagomedov), my brothers. Everybody is here. Everybody has helped me and I’m ready.”

Nurmagomedov will have an all-star corner for his fight. Mendez, [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, and that only drives the champion to put on a more spectacular performance.

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Khabib has been absent from his cousin’s corner for the past few fights, but Nurmagomedov said his presence has still been felt. It will be special to have him there in person for the first time as a title-fight competitor, though, and Nurmagomedov said it’s his vision to have Khabib wrap the title around him once he wins.

“All the time he was in our corner,” Nurmagomedov said. “Even when (he wasn’t there) and we fight, between rounds he would call to corner us and tell them what we need to do in the fight. People think he went out and he wouldn’t talk about fights, but we all the time talked. He just took some time to enjoy with his family, but now he’s with us and I’m so happy. I hope he’s going to put the belt around my waist. I hope Khabib is going to put the belt on me.”

Nurmagomedov’s bout at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego will be his first since the company was acquired by the PFl. There’s been a litany of changes since the two banners were brought together, with some athletes jumping back-and-forth depending on the circumstances.

The promotional brass haven’t shared much insight on its future plans for someone like Nurmagomedov, and he said he’s not been made privy to how he’ll be used going forward.

“Honestly I don’t know,” Nurmagomedov said. “I didn’t look at the future, but I love these guys from Bellator – all the staff, all of them who give me these opportunities. I just want to say thank you for everybody. I love being in Bellator. I don’t know about the future. I only have one goal: This is to defend my title. But after, we will see.”

For now, Nurmagomedov is focused on the task at hand. Shabliy is far from an easy opponent, and before the PFL-Bellator merger, it was originally meant to be the finals of the Bellator lightweight grand prix.

It’s still a high-stakes title fight, though, and Nurmagomedov’s goal is the same as always: Dominate and keep his undefeated record in tact.

“I think I’m going to maul this guy all five rounds,” Nurmagomedov said. “You can watch this. Enjoy it.”

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

Khabib Nurmagomedov reflects on Conor McGregor rivalry: ‘I just tried to bite his heart’

Khabib Nurmagomedov recalls how he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Conor McGregor after the heated buildup to UFC 229.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] couldn’t wait to get his hands on [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor to retain his lightweight title in October 2018 at UFC 229, in what to this day is the highest-selling pay-per-view in company history. There was plenty of bad blood between the two, and McGregor ramped up the trash talk to personal, and almost physical, levels. McGregor tried to intimidate Nurmagomedov in the lead-up to his title fight with Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 by throwing a dolly on the UFC fighter bus he was in.

It was there where Nurmagomedov coined his famous phrase, “Send me location.”

“It was like we just signed the contract, and it was like I prayed to God, ‘Please just close the cage and me and him be alone,'” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “This is what I really, really wanted at that time. Because you never know: Someone can get injured, something can happen. You never know.

“I was preparing for this fight, and I was waiting for this moment. I was very happy. I remember when I come inside the cage, when the cage closed, I remember I looked at Dana (White) and I said, ‘Today, you cannot protect him.’ Dana asked me what? I said, ‘Today, you cannot protect him.’ He didn’t hear me. ‘It’s OK, after the fight we’ll talk.'”

After Nurmagomedov mauled and submitted McGregor, his hatred for him didn’t stop there. He couldn’t control his emotions as he jumped over the cage to attack McGregor’s corner, and a brawl ensued.

It brought out a side of Nurmagomedov that no one had seen before, but “The Eagle” was eager to send a message.

“It was a very emotional time, but at the same time, it was my feeling,” Nurmagomedov said. “I really wanted to bite someone’s heart. Do you have that feeling in your life? I just tried to bite his heart. Maybe you can feel this. I am ‘The Eagle,’ and when the eagle is hungry, it’s not good. He has to hunt. That’s why when the promotion promotes this fight, they have to expect something.

“When they know me, when they know all my team, when they know we don’t play. We compete; we don’t play. You cannot play MMA. You can play soccer, you can play American football, you can play hockey, but you cannot play MMA. You have to fight. This is a fighting game. A lot of people said it was a very strange or weird or something like this, but it was my decision.”

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Khabib Nurmagomedov: Only chance Tony Ferguson had to stop me was ‘a lucky punch’

Had they fought, Khabib Nurmagomedov says Tony Ferguson never stood a chance of beating him.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] says [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] never stood a chance of beating him.

Ferguson, who was once owner of a 12-fight winning streak, was long considered Nurmagomedov’s biggest threat. They were booked against each other five times, but each one was canceled, leaving their rivalry unsettled.

Ferguson was adamant that he would be the one to hand former UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov his first loss, but “The Eagle” said his style was a nightmare matchup.

“I feel a little bit sad, but at the same time, I always understood that my game is worse for him,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “He doesn’t have wrestling. He doesn’t have grappling. What was he going to do with me? How was he going to stop me? The only chance he had to stop me was with a lucky punch, like with everybody. Like with Conor (McGregor), with (Dustin) Poirier, with Justin Gaethje.

“Everybody talks about like, ‘They can stop him if Khabib is going to get (hit with) lucky punch,’ but other stuff, how are they going to stop me? When he fought with Danny Castillo, (Beneil) Dariush, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, all these guys mauled him. He didn’t have wrestling defense. He didn’t have good grappling. My fighting game was worse for him. I’m a little bit sad, but what we can do?”

After their fifth and final fight cancellation at UFC 249 due to COVID-19 related travel bans, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson’s careers took off in vastly different directions. Ferguson’s winning streak was ended by Justin Gaethje, which kickstarted a UFC-record skid that reached eight fights after his loss to Michael Chiesa earlier this month at UFC on ABC 7.

Nurmagomedov fought only one more time, submitting Gaethje to retain his lightweight title at UFC 254 and retiring immediately afterward.

“I feel a little bit sad, but then time showed who has what level,” Nurmagomedov said.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov says he contemplated retirement in 2014, but father changed his mind

Khabib Nurmagomedov almost retired because of injuries years before he became UFC champ, but his father showed him tough love.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] considered retiring years before he became UFC champion.

Nurmagomedov’s career was riddled with injuries early on, which kept him out of action for more than two years from 2014 to 2016. It was a frustrating time for undefeated Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) to have to watch the lightweight division move on without him.

In fact, it was so frustrating that Nurmagomedov started questioning if it was God’s plan for himto walk away. However, Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, made sure that didn’t happen.

“It was hardest time in my career, like professional career, because I remember when I dominated Rafael dos Anjos (and) after that I broke my leg. I had ACL surgery,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “After that, dos Anjos became champion, and I tried to come back. I tore one more time ACL and one more surgery. I tried to come back. I broke my ribs.

“After that I tried to comeback. I had surgery on my back. It was a very hard time, and I remember I was talking with my father, ‘Maybe this is a signal from God you have to stop.’ He told me, ‘You cannot give up. When you have some test you have to show your toughness if you’re tough. If you’re not tough you just can give up, and that’s it.'”

Abdulmanap showed his son tough love. The legendary coach was going to reach his goal no matter what and left the decision to Nurmagomedov on whether or not he will be a part of his story.

“I remember he told me, ‘If you want to go, you have to go,'” Nurmagomedov said. “‘If not, anyways, I’m going to have a UFC champion. With you or without you, I’m going to make someone a UFC champion.’ This gave me like crazy energy. Like if my father wants, who has to do this if I’m not? And this gave me crazy energy. I just keep going, keep going. I just come back and after that, what happened? This is all history.”

Nurmagomedov took his father’s advice and returned in 2016 with vengeance. He captured the UFC lightweight title in 2018 and defended it three times with finishes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje before retiring in October 2020.

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Daniel Cormier: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor won’t let go of ‘deep-rooted’ hatred

Daniel Cormier doesn’t expect Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor’s rivalry to ever end.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] doesn’t expect [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s rivalry to ever end.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) never wastes an opportunity to take a shot at Nurmagomedov, most recently ridiculing former U.S. President Donald Trump for picking “The Eagle” as his favorite fighter.

Nurmagomedov has been retired since October 2020, and his finish of McGregor in October 2018 is the largest selling pay-per-view in UFC history. Nurmagomedov’s protege, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, is willing to stretch out the history by defending his belt against McGregor, if “The Notorious” can emerge victorious in his expected return against Michael Chandler.

“He just hates Khabib,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “He hates him. … They are not letting it go. It’s deep-rooted, but it’s deep-rooted on both sides, honestly. (Nuragomedov) doesn’t like this guy, bro. They don’t like each other. This is crazy. It really is. It’s deep. It’s very deep.

“But I think the closest thing you would get to a resolution in that is, again, Conor beating Michael and then earning a championship fight against Islam Makhachev, right? Then Khabib could probably try to find some comfort in that and Conor could try to actually find redemption in trying to beat the guy that became the guy, right? So there’s stories there. I don’t know that it happens because Michael Chandler can’t seem to get a date (with McGregor).”

McGregor was scheduled to fight Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but was forced out due to a broken toe. He has not competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

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PFL signs Renat Khavalov, Khabib’s pick for future superstar

PFL has signed the fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov labeled the best unknown beast on his team, Renat Khavalov.

Two years ago, [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] was asked who the No. 1 unknown beast from his gym was.

After a brief pause, one name came to mind: [autotag]Renat Khavalov[/autotag].

Fast forward two years, and Khavlov (8-0) has signed with his first major promotion. On Thursday, PFL officials informed MMA Junkie that Khavlov has signed an exclusive, multifight deal. Historically a bantamweight, Khavalov will compete at featherweight in PFL, though could appear in Bellator at bantamweight.

“I think you guys have to remember this name,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN in 2022. “Just watch his fights. This guy is a very good wrestler. He finishes everybody with knockouts. He has very fast hands. Of course, he has great ground game. He’s young. He’s very hungry. I’m very excited about his future. … He finishes everybody. He knocks out everybody. Nobody can take him down. He has a great wrestling base. I think if he’s going to stay focused, keep training like he’s doing all his last six years with our team, I think he’s going to be a big, big superstar in the future.”

Khavalov, 25, enters PFL with an undefeated record and six finishes by strikes in eight professional appearances. He’s competed for UAE Warriors and Eagle FC, among other promotions.

No debut date or opponent has been announced for Khavalov at this time.

Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to corner cousin Umar at UFC on ABC 7

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov will be back on corner duty for his cousin Umar in the UFC on ABC 7 main event.

Undefeated [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] will have his UFC Hall of Fame family member, [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in his corner this weekend.

At UFC on ABC 7, which takes place at Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Umar (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) confirmed to MMA Junkie that he will once again have his cousin Khabib on hand to help guide him to victory in the main event against former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen.

It’s a big fight in the UFC’s 135-pound division.

Umar, currently No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings and No. 10 in the UFC’s promotional rankings, said he was promised a title shot with a victory. Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) currently sits at No. 6 and 2, respectively.

In a fight with such high stakes, it’s important for Umar to have his best team available, including Khabib, who was last in his corner at UFC 272 in March 2022 in a first-round submission victory over Brian Kelleher.

“It will be Usman (Nurmagomedov), Shamil Zavurov, Javier (Mendez), and Khabib,” Umar told MMA Junkie.

Through five UFC bouts, Umar has been a dominant force at bantamweight. He has finished Kelleher, Sergey Morozov and Raoni Barcelos, while picking up decisions over Nate Maness and Bakzat Almakhan.

Khabib last appeared as a cornerman at UFC 302. He was part of the coaching team for Islam Makhachev, who defeated Dustin Poirier to retain the lightweight title. It was a return to the scene for “The Eagle” after signaling he was taking time away from the sport completely after turning in a 2022 Coach of the Year campaign with Mendez.

He returns to be in his cousin’s corner to help him navigate his way to victory against a savvy Sandhagen, who once fought for the vacant interim bantamweight title, but came up short against former champ Petr Yan.

The bantamweight title is set to be defended at Noche UFC at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14 when champ Sean O’Malley meets Merab Dvalishvili.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.

Dustin Poirier says Khabib Nurmagomedov purchased UFC 302 fight kit for $30,000

Khabib Nurmagomedov came through for Dustin Poirier’s charity after an eBay bidder failed to pay for “The Diamond’s” fight kit.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] found a buyer for his UFC 302 fight kit, and it was none other than the man he once fought for the lightweight title, [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Poirier wore new custom floral shorts in his UFC 302 bout against Islam Makhachev in his latest shot at the divisional title. Although Poirier lost by submission in Round 5, he sought to make a positive out of the moment by listing the shorts, along with his shirt, gloves, and hand wraps for auction for The Good Fight Foundation, a charity organized by the Louisiana native.

Unfortunately, the winning eBay bidder failed to pay for the fight kit after the auction was completed. That’s when Nurmagomedov stepped up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8XwTz2pTeq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

During a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Poirier revealed that his former foe was interested in purchasing the shorts. According to Poirier, Nurmagomedov made good on the deal a few days later.

“He purchased it,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “… $30,000.”

Poirier said Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, contacted him to complete the purchase of the fight kit, which will provide funds for the charity’s programs.

“He came through, we shipped it off, backpacks are getting filled,” Poirier said.

Poirier admitted he initially hesitated to sell the fight kit, because his fighting future is uncertain. The 35-year-old fighter contemplated retiring, and thought about holding on to what could be his final UFC fight kit. Ultimately, “The Diamond” decided to sell it to raise money to benefit his community.

For the past five years, Poirier’s charity has given away backpacks filled with school supplies to children in the Lafayette Parish school system who need assistance. This year’s “Back to School” event takes place Aug. 3 in Lafayette, La., where the charity will provide up to three backpacks per vehicle.

“We’ve got about 1,500, maybe a little bit less, maybe a little bit more, backpacks filled with school supplies for the year,” Poirier said.

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Khabib, Islam, Usman, Umar … Meet Amru Magomedov, next in succession in the Nurmagomedov dynasty

Meet the 25-year-old who could next become the household name crafted by Team Nurmagomedov.

The year was 2016 and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was holding a training session in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] was still two years away from winning gold, but the traction was starting to build. Something special was being crafted. The skill level in the Russian training room was elevated slightly each day, under Abdulmanap’s direction.

In that room stood a recent UFC debutant, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], fresh off a bounce-back win over Chris Wade. Soon-to-be professional debutants, brothers Usman and Umar Nurmagomedov also were among the pack.

There also was a 17-year-old, [autotag]Amru Magomedov[/autotag], a family friend of the Nurmagomedovs since childhood.

The lessons Magomedov learned as one of the younger guys in a room full of future legends and notables laid the foundation for what would eventually build into one of the world’s most promising prospects. Magomedov forever owes a lot to Abdulmanap and the teachings that continue to be passed down through fight generations.

“I have all the best memories working with Abdulmanap, training with him,” Magomedov told MMA Junkie, of his coach and mentor, who died in 2020. “I spent four years with him. Obviously, he was taking care of all the guys. He would come wake us up in the morning, making sure everybody is training in the morning and in the evening. He was all about discipline. He said, ‘It’s very important you guys be disciplined. You should follow the regiment and everything is going to be great. Make sure you go to sleep on time.’ So yeah, he definitely was the one who started this whole thing and I’m thankful to know him.”

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Over the next eight years, Magomedov traveled the world, assisting his training partners during massive championship fight weeks. He saw Khabib and Makhachev win UFC gold, Usman win Bellator gold, and Umar establish himself as a top UFC contender.

All the while, Magomedov absorbed knowledge and experience. The reps benefited his own abilities, which he’s showed seven times as a professional. In October, he clinched UAE Warriors lightweight gold and moved to 7-0 when he quickly submitted Jakhongir Jumaev.

Magomedov has never felt pressured, despite the predictions and expectations by those around him that he’ll be next to make an impact on the global stage. The legends and stars are just friends at work. He plans to do his job the same way they did.

“Well, it’s not as much pressure since I’ve known them for a while now,” Magomedov said. “I get motivation from them. They inspire me. I always tried since I started training to become champion. I want to be No. 1 and these guys are already at the top of their career, Khabib, Islam Makhachev, Umar, Usman. They are all pushing me forward and I always strive to be the best. So they’re very inspirational to me. Obviously, we have a lot of other guys in our gym that are on the same level and that are up and coming.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci5inl_Pub6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Magomedov, 25, headlines UAE Warriors 51 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi as he looks for his first title defense against Ali Kabdulla (9-2-1). He enters the fight with five finishes in seven appearances. His most recent two victories came over opponents with a combined 17-3 record.

If he wins, Magomedov hopes the UFC comes calling.

“I don’t want to consider any other leagues as of now,” Magomedov said. “I think if I put a spectacular fight and finish early on this Saturday, then I might have a good chance of getting into the UFC next.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6WDn0xKHEc/

Now under the guidance of Khabib, Magomedov takes his career one step at a time. But given the deeply-engrained mindset instilled in him nearly a decade ago by Abdulmanap, the aspirations and motivations are nothing short of championship.

“I think pretty much any fighter when they start their career have a goal and try to get into the UFC,” Magomedov said. “So far the way it is going, I think that’s where I’m going to be headed. I don’t just want to be another fighter in the UFC. Obviously, I want to become champion one day.”

This interview was conducted with the assistance of a Russian-language interpreter.

UFC ‘Muted’ audio reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov’s savage message to Conor McGregor after tapout

You never heard Khabib Nurmagomedov use the F-word or the B-word during his UFC career – until now.

You never heard [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] use the F-word or the B-word during his UFC career – until now.

It happened immediately after Nurmagomedov submitted [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at UFC 229 in October 2018. On Monday, the UFC released new footage from the fight on the latest edition of “Muted” – a series looking back on fights without commentary, with audio from in the cage and cageside corners amplified – which shows the heated moment.

After McGregor tapped out to a neck crank and sat on the canvas staring up at Nurmagomedov, the then-lightweight champion was restrained by referee Herb Dean as he talked down to McGregor, yelling at him, “B*tch, I f*cked you up! I f*cked you up, b*tch!”

You can watch the new footage, as well as the entire episode, in the video above.

Not included, a few moments after securing the victory, Nurmagomedov threw his mouthpiece in the direction of McGregor’s cornermen and jumped the cage to attack Dillon Danis, inciting a wild brawl on the arena floor that spilled back into the cage.

It should come as no surprise how things ended between Nurmagomedov and McGregor given the very personal nature of the rivalry leading up to the fight. Still, this sheds more light on just how intense things were.