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Following the success of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC, all eyes in the MMA community are now firmly fixed on Dagestan's next wave of upcoming prospects. Nurmagomedov has now taken on the role of both coach and promoter, assisting a plethora of Dagestani fighters who are looking to take the MMA world by storm.
Fighters like Islam Makhachev, Askar Askarov and Magomed Ankalaev are already fully established in their UFC careers, taking up the mantle of representatives of Dagestan now that Khabib has retired.
However, there is already a new wave of young prospects quickly rising behind them. In the following list we will detail five Dagestani fighters who are either yet to get to the UFC or are in the very stages of their career, but have the potential to go all the way to the top.
An honorable mention goes to Shamil Gamzatov, who could go onto do great things but was omitted from this list due to him being inactive for the past two years.
5 Dagestani prospects who could one day compete for a UFC title
#5 Khasan Magomedsharipov - Bellator featherweight
With Zabit Magomedsharipov appearing to be taking a step away from competing in professional MMA for now, it is time for his younger brother, Khasan, to step into the limelight.
Khasan Magomedsharipov is an undefeated featherweight, currently holding a 5-0 record. He was recently signed by Bellator MMA but, at only 20 years of age, there is plenty of time for the younger Magomedsharipov brother to transition over to the UFC and attempt to take featherweight gold.
Zabit was known for his unorthodox techniques in the octagon, and Khasan appears to be cut from the same cloth. In the video below he can be seen submitting an opponent with a twister, one of the rarest finishes utilized in MMA.
In a recent exclusive Sportskeeda MMA interview, Khasan's training partner and fellow prospect Timur Valiev had the following to say about him:
"Yeah he's a beast, you know... He gets better everyday. And yes, he's as good as his brother."
#4 Usman Nurmagomedov - Bellator lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov is a younger cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov but, whilst he shares some attributes with the former UFC champion, he is very much his own fighter. Usman Nurmagomedov currently holds an 11-0 record, and recently made his debut for Bellator MMA, defeating Mike Hamel in emphatic fashion.
The primary difference between Khabib and Usman Nurmagomedov lies within the striking realm. Khabib would always look to bring the fight to the ground. Usman Nurmagomedov is an elite stand-up fighter, who also has the classic Dagestani wrestling in his aresnel.
As Ali Abdelaziz said in an interview with Asian MMA, the sky truly is the limit for the undefeated prospect:
"He's a Muay Thai specialist and he's Khabib's brother, you understand? If you have the same blood as Khabib, you have good wrestling... I'm telling you, he is actually a better version than Khabib. He is better than Khabib."
#3 Tagir Ulanbekov - UFC flyweight
We are now moving into the realm of Dagestani fighters already signed by the UFC. First is Tagir Ulanbekov, a training partner of Khabib's, who competes in the UFC's flyweight division.
Ulanbekov currently holds a 12-1 professional record and is 1-0 inside the UFC. His debut for the organization came in 2020, when he defeated Bruno Silva via unanimous decision. He has since seen fights with Matheus Nicolau and Tyson Nam fall through.
However, once Ulanbekov is able to start fighting regularly again, there is a high chance he will rapidly rise through the ranks. The Dagestani 125er is a submission specialist, having subbed six of his 12 opponents, two via armbar, two by gullitotine and two by way of RNC.
#2 Umar Nurmagomedov - UFC bantamweight
Yet another cousin of the undefeated former UFC champ, Umar Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in January 2021. His opponent was fellow debutant Sergey Moroz, who was riding a five-fight winning streak at the time.
Umar made an instant statement by submitting Moroz via rear naked choke. This was especially notable as it was this very same technique that Khabib finished Kamal Shalorus with in his UFC debut.
Khabib was coaching Umar that night, having only retired mere months before, which created a true passing of the guard moment. Umar is yet to be booked for another fight, but the young prospect has an undeniably bright future ahead of him.
#1 Timur Valiev - UFC bantamweight
Timur Valiev currently walks the line between prospect and contender. He is the most experienced fighter on this list by far, holding a 17-2-1 record. However, he is still only two fights into his UFC career so technically qualifies for this list.
For some time, Valiev has been considered one of the top 135ers outside of the UFC. In 2020 he finally signed for the organization and, whilst he had a rocky start, picking up a loss to Trevin Jones that has since been overturned to a no contest, he looked dominant in his most recent fight against Martin Day.
Valiev is now set to face off against one of Brazil's brightest prospects in Raoni Barcelos at UFC Vegas 30. A win here will likely see Valiev rise from prospect to contender, as well as there being potential for him to break into the top 15 of the division. Valiev's skillset has the potential to see him tear through the UFC's bantamweight roster and could easily lead to him claiming the world title.
