Khabib Nurmagomedov, born as Habib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov, is a retired mixed martial artist who made history as the first Russian and the first Muslim UFC champion. He was born on September 20, 1988, in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan, an autonomous republic within Russia, as the second child in a family of three children. From an early age, he was immersed in combat sports, beginning with wrestling, transitioning to judo at the age of 15, and later taking up sambo at 17.

Khabib Nurmagomedov received his foundational training from his father and longtime coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who was the head coach of sambo teams in Dagestan. Observing mixed martial arts during his training years, Khabib developed a strong interest in MMA and began focusing on the discipline after the age of 18. At 20 years old, he officially started competing in professional mixed martial arts, marking the beginning of a legendary career.

Khabib made his professional MMA debut on September 13, 2008, defeating Vusal Bayramov via submission. One month later, in October 2008, he gained widespread recognition by winning a four-man tournament, securing three victories in a single night. On October 11, 2008, in Moscow, he won the inaugural Atrium Cup by defeating three opponents in one evening, solidifying his reputation as a rising star.

Between 2008 and 2011, Khabib Nurmagomedov competed extensively across Russia and Ukraine, amassing an undefeated record of 16 consecutive victories. Only one of these fights went to a judges’ decision. This dominant run opened the doors to the UFC, and in late 2011 he signed a six-fight contract with the organization.

On January 20, 2012, Khabib made his UFC debut at UFC on FX 1, submitting Kamal Shalorus in the third round. He followed this with a hard-fought decision victory over Gleison Tibau at UFC 148 on July 7, 2012. His momentum continued on January 19, 2013, at UFC on FX 7, where he knocked out Thiago Tavares in the first round.

On May 23, 2013, at UFC 160, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Abel Trujillo by decision, setting a UFC record by completing 21 successful takedowns in a single fight. Despite missing the weight limit and forfeiting part of his purse, his performance was historic. He continued his winning streak by defeating Pat Healy at UFC 165 on September 21, 2013.

Khabib’s dominance extended further with a decisive victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 11 on April 19, 2014. Planned bouts in late 2014 and 2015 were canceled due to injuries. He returned on April 16, 2016, defeating Darrell Horcher via second-round technical knockout.

In 2016, Khabib Nurmagomedov was scheduled to fight then-lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez for the UFC title. However, the UFC opted to have Alvarez defend his belt against Conor McGregor instead. Khabib publicly criticized the decision, expressing his frustration with the organization. As a result, he faced Michael Johnson at UFC 205 on November 12, 2016, defeating him via third-round submission.

On December 30, 2017, Khabib defeated Edson Barboza by unanimous decision. In April 2018, after a series of unexpected changes involving Tony Ferguson, Max Holloway, and Al Iaquinta, Khabib faced Iaquinta for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 223. Despite Iaquinta missing the championship weight limit, Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated the five-round bout and won by unanimous decision, becoming the UFC Lightweight Champion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov solidified his legacy on October 6, 2018, in Las Vegas, where he defeated Irish superstar Conor McGregor via fourth-round submission to successfully defend his UFC lightweight title. The bout became one of the most watched and talked-about fights in MMA history.

Renowned for his elite-level judo, sambo, and wrestling skills, Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as one of the greatest takedown specialists and ground-control fighters in MMA history. His undefeated professional record of 29 wins and zero losses remains one of the longest unbeaten streaks in the sport.

In June 2013, Khabib Nurmagomedov married and later became the father of one daughter and one son. Videos of him wrestling a bear at the age of nine gained widespread attention on social media, further contributing to his legendary image.

On July 3, 2020, Khabib’s father and mentor Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Following this loss, Khabib honored a promise made to his mother and announced his retirement from mixed martial arts after defeating Justin Gaethje on October 24, 2020, in his final professional fight.

Titles and Medals
2009 – Combat Sambo World Championship, 74 kg – Gold Medal
2010 – Combat Sambo World Championship, 82 kg – Gold Medal

Source: Biyografiler.com