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In recent months, MMA has seen Nick Diaz return to the octagon at UFC 266, both Shevchenko sisters competing and Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Usman pick up a win at Bellator 269.
All of this shows it isn't hard to find family ties in MMA.
For many fighters, a family member encouraging them to head to a gym is the reason they first get involved in MMA. This step only marks the beginning of a long journey, with the fighters you see on TV overcoming huge odds to reach the sport's peak.
However, on rare occasions, two fighters from the same family are able to both rise up the ranks together. Whether it be superior genetics, a perfected training program or some other X factor, some families produce multiple elite fighters.
While there have been a number of famous fighting families over the years, here are the 5 that are dominating the sport today.
#5. The Lee family (Kevin & Keith)
While Kevin Lee has been a popular star in the UFC since he was just 22 years old, some may not know that his brother Keith is also a professional fighter.
After an undefeated amateur record, Keith Lee made a 5-3 start to his professional career before being snatched up by Bellator. Since then, Keith has posted a respectable 2-2 record with the promotion and he is still only 24 years old.
Keith Lee has also had success outside of the ring as his TikTok account, keith_lee125, has close to a million subscribers.
Kevin Lee, now 29, continues to fight in the UFC. Despite struggling with some injuries and losses recently, he showed what he can do in his Performance of the Night knockout over Gregor Gillespie.
'The Motown Phenom' has fought for interim lightweight gold in the UFC and, while results haven't gone his way recently, he still has time on his side to rejoin the sport's elite.
While this brother duo may not be the most talked about in the MMA world today, they hold the potential to become a powerhouse family in the sport. With both brothers still so young, this family could conceivably continue competing for the next 10 years.
#4. The Nurmagomedov Family (Khabib & Co.)
While Khabib Nuragomedov is no longer an active fighter, the contributions he and his family continue to make to the sport of MMA cannot be overlooked. He has taken up the role previously filled by his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, as a coach to a number of top fighters, including his cousins in Dagestan.
These Dagestani fighters continue to dominate the sport in a number of different organizations. With an MMA mind as brilliant as Khabib Nurmagomedov's, it's almost unsurprising that his family have produced a number of top prospects.
Usman Nurmagomedov is 14-0 and was victorious last weekend at Bellator 269. Umar Nurmagomedov is currently 13-0 and recently won his UFC debut. Abubakar Nurmagomedov is 16-3-1 and is also currently competing in the UFC.
While Khabib's cousins are still climbing the ranks in MMA, the Nurmagomedov family name is alive and well in MMA today.
#3. The Diaz Family (Nick & Nathan)
A list of MMA families would simply not be complete without mention of Nick and Nathan Diaz. 2021 also marks the first year since 2015 where we have seen both of these brothers compete.
Nick Diaz, the elder brother, was for a long time the more well-known of the duo. He is a former WEC and Strikeforce champion who has competed against a who's who of the sport's greats, including BJ Penn, Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.
While Nick would not compete for some time, in part due to a bogus five-year suspension for marijuana, his brother Nathan became a star himself. Nate won the fifth season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' and saw his popularity skyrocket when he handed Conor McGregor his first loss in the UFC.
While both brothers have competed in the UFC for well over a decade, Nick and Nate Diaz remain among the most popular fighters on the roster.
#2. The McKee Family (AJ & Antonio)
The only father-son duo to make the list, the McKee family have dominated the MMA world for over 20 years. While AJ McKee has stolen headlines recently, racing to a 18-0 record and becoming Bellator's pound-for-pound king, his father was an accomplished fighter in his own right years earlier.
Antonio McKee was an MMA pioneer, competing during the sports infancy and likely missing out on much of the fame he would have achieved today. In the 2000s, McKee put together a seven-year, 15-fight undefeated streak and even competed in the UFC.
Perhaps even more impressive, after five years away from the cage, Antonio McKee made history competing at Bellator 228 in 2019 on the same card as his son. The family went 2-0 that night with both father and son securing impressive knock-out victories.
AJ McKee's win that night was his first in the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix which concluded this July when he submitted Patricio Pitbull to become champion. The first-round submission victory sent shockwaves throughout the MMA world and cemented AJ McKee as Bellator's biggest star.
With 'The Mercenary' still improving and only 26 years of age and with Antonio developing into one of the top trainers in MMA, you can expect to hear a lot more of the McKee family name for years to come.
#1. The Shevchenko Family (Antonina & Valentina)
With Valentina defending her UFC women's flyweight championship at UFC 266 and Antonina competing the following weekend, the MMA world has seen plenty of the Shevchenko family lately.
Antonina is the older of the two sisters at 36 and fought bravely in her most recent bout against undefeated contender Casey O'Neil. While she lost on this occasion, the MMA veteran is still a constant threat to opponents and has been ranked as high as #11 in the flyweight division.
Entering the UFC, Antonina went 5-0 to start her pro MMA career, scored a knockout win on Dana White's Contender Series and now holds a record of 9-4. UFC 255 is the only event thus far to become a Shevchenko family affair when Antonina knocked out Ariane Lipski and Valentina defended her title over Jennifer Maia.
That win was Valentina's fourth consecutive title defense, a tally that reached six with her recent knockout victory over Lauren Murphy. 'The Bullet' has looked dominant at flyweight and also sits second in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
At 33, Valentina looks set to continue to dominate the division and has even teased a trilogy bout against bantamweight and featherweight champion, Amanda Nunes.
Poll : Which family should be ranked higher?
The Diaz Family
The Nurmagomedov Family
69 votes
