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Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev once teamed up during a sparring session at the American Kickboxing Academy to take on their manager and Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz.
All three wore shin pads and engaged in a battle of kicks. Both Dagestani lightweights pushed Ali Abdelaziz to the wall, with Khabib Nurmagomedov hitting his manager with low kicks.
Ali Abdelaziz responded with his own kicks. This was when Islam Makhachev saw his opening and snuck some kicks on his manager. The Egyptian struggled to keep two of the best fighters in his stable off him.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev began increasing the pressure, forcing Ali Abdelaziz to move away swiftly before throwing roundhouse kicks that would keep both fighters away. Had the fight gone on any longer, Ali Abdelaziz would have given in to the pressure and lost the friendly bout.
Who are the MMA fighters managed by Ali Abdelaziz besides Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev?
Ali Abdelaziz has made a name for himself as one of the best managers in the UFC. His stable under the MMA Dominance banner consists of the best fighters from the top MMA promotions in the world like UFC, PFL, ONE Championship, and Bellator MMA.
The roster at MMA Dominance includes: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, Cody Garbrandt, Rashad Evans, Kayla Harrison, Fabricio Werdum Lance Palmer, and Frankie Edgar.
Other notable fighters on the Dominance MMA roster are Gilbert Burns, Justin Gaethje, Yana Kunitskaya, Khamzat Chimaev, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Kelvin Gastelum, Derek Brunson, and Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson.
Ali Abdelaziz himself competed as a professional mixed martial artist, though, his career was short-lived. He fought four times in MMA between 2004 and 2007.
While Abdelaziz's debut at Ring of Fire 12 in 2004 was a successful submission victory against Chee Bates in the first round, Ali lost all of his subsequent MMA bouts. He called time on his MMA career with a 1-3 record.
