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Khamzat Chimaev is one of the biggest rising stars in the UFC. Chimaev is often compared to former lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, and some fans think he too belongs to Dagestan. However, that is not the case.
Khamzat Chimaev was born in Chechnya, which is a republic of Russia. Chechnya shares its borders with Dagestan. While Chimaev was born in Chechnya, the highly touted rising contender later moved to Sweden.
When he was 19 years old, 'Borz' made the trip to Sweden on his brother's advice. Detailing the event, Khamzat Chimaev once said:
"My brother was living here. He told us come here, it's good for us. And our one brorther he has like surgery as well. So that helps him like when we come directly. After that we stay here, we like it and they help us a lot as well."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's full interview below:
To sum it up, Khamzat Chimaev is a Russian-born Swedish mixed martial artist. Even after his move to Europe, Chimaev maintained strong connections in his birthplace Chechnya. He has now shifted the base to UAE over alleged disagreements with Swedish taxation system and laws about freedom of speech.
Caucasian fighters other than Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov have built a great reputation in the UFC
Over the years, Caucasian regions like Dagestan have produced several top-notch MMA fighters. Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former UFC lightweight champion, is the most famous fighters to come out of the region.
Throughout his pro mixed martial arts career, Nurmagomedov remained undefeated and won the UFC lightweight title. Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, there are many other UFC fighters from Dagestan too.
Islam Makhachev, a friend and training partner of Nurmagomedov, is one of the most prominent names from the region. After 'The Eagle's' retirement, Makhachev became the UFC lightweight champion by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. He has defended the title against featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. Makhachev is set to take on Volkanovski once again at UFC 294.
Apart from these two prominent names, fighters such as Zabit Magomedsharipov, Muslim Salikhov, Said Nurmagomedov, and Magomed Ankalaev belong from Dagestan too. Many skilled UFC and MMA fighters come from this region.
Fighters from Dagestan are primarily known for their aggressive grappling and seemingly endless cardio. However, fighters such as Muslim Salikhov and Zabit Magomedsharipov have proved their striking prowess too. What do you think of the talent from Dagestan? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
