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The name Nurmagomedov has become synonymous with elite MMA talent from Dagestan. Umar Nurmagomedov, the No.2-ranked bantamweight contender, represents the next generation of talent and brings a versatile striking arsenal and dominant wrestling skills to the sport.
While his wrestling style, name, and work ethic are similar to those of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmgomeodv, it raises the question: are they related to each other or do they merely share a surname and cultural background? Let's find out.
Is Umar Nurmagomedov related to Khabib?
Umar Nurmagomedov is the cousin of Khabib. Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov is his younger brother. Both Umar and Usman started training in freestyle wrestling in their childhood while living in their native village.
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After moving to Makhachkala, Umar started training with his uncle, and Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov at the Eagles MMA camp. He continues to be a part of the team and has become an integral part of the close-knit team.
The 28-year-old started his career in smaller MMA promotions across Russia. He has previously fought at PFL (Professional Fighters League) as well. Khabib rivalry with Conor McGregor affected Umar's UFC debut as well.
He was set to make his UFC debut at the UFC 257 pay-per-view event headlined by Conor McGregor. However, citing the rivalry between McGregor and Khabib, Umar's fight against Sergey Morozov was rescheduled to UFC Fight Island 8 which took place a week before.
Umar made his UFC debut with a technical submission win and tested the waters at featherweight in his next fight against Brian Kelleher. Although the 28-year-old emerged victoriously with a first-round submission, he went back to bantamweight and has amassed four straight wins in subsequent bouts.
At the time of this writing, Umar is the No.2-ranked bantamweight contender in the UFC. In his last fight, the Dagestani fighter defeated a versatile Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision to earn the title shot against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.
Khabib thinks Umar Nurmagomedov is one of the best bantamweights in the world right now
Since retirement from competitive MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken up coaching responsibilities for his teammates. 'The Eagle' will corner Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov as they prepare for their respective title fights at UFC 311.
In the UFC 3111 Countdown, Khabib expressed confidence in Umar's abilities. He explained what sets Umar apart from other elite bantamweights like his UFC 311 opponent and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Khabib stated:
"Merab is a very good fighter. He has very good conditioning, very good pressure. He knows how to wrestle, he knows how to punch and he can take punch. He has heart, he has championship heart. But like, striking game, Umar kicks much better."
He added:
"Merab is a better freestyle wrestler and Merab is better than him [when pressuring]. But Umar, when we see how he mixes it up, like mixed martial arts, he's one of the best right now in the world. Not only in his weight class, but you go down for grappling, Umar is much better than him."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below (43:52):
