Said Nurmagomedov: 5 things you need to know about the Dagestani Bantamweight

Along with Khabib, another member of the Nurmagomedov clan is ready to return to the Octagon in October. UFC Bantamweight Said Nurmagomedov is set to fight Mark Striegel at the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Korean Zombie event at the Yas Islands in Abu Dhabi on October 17.

Said shares his surname with one of the UFC’s biggest stars, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and is quickly propelling himself towards becoming a household name in the sport since making his debut in the world’s premier MMA promotion back in July 2018.

As the fight approaches, let's take a sneak-peek into Said Nurmagomedov's career thus far. Here are 5 things you need to know about the lesser-known Nurmagomedov - Said.

5. Said Nurmagomedov was on a seven-fight winning streak

Said Nurmagomedov was on a red-hot seven-fight win streak inside the cage before he hit a roadblock in December 2019, suffering his first loss in nearly six years to Raoni Barcelos. Before that, Nurmagomedov won 13 out of 14 fights overall, including two impressive victories inside the Octagon against Justin Scoggins and Ricardo Ramos.

4. Said Nurmagomedov's jaw-dropping 1st round KO win against Ricardo Ramos

The 26-year-old Dagestani fighter stunned MMA fans across the globe when he finished Brazil’s Ricardo Ramos inside the first round of their bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 144 in Fortaleza. Said dispatched Ramos comfortably and stylishly, closing the contest with a spinning back-kick to the midsection before finishing the Brazilian with devastating one-twos against the fence.

3. Said Nurmagomedov isn't just "another wrestler from Dagestan"

Said Nurmagomedov shares fighting traits with his fellow Dagestani Khabib, including the famous grappling skills that often sets apart fighters from the small village in Russia. Having said that, the younger Nurmagomedov is also very adept at fighting on his feet. His prolific display against Ramos made it very clear that Said has the skillset to stand and trade with the best fighters in the game. Said has six finishes in his career, including 3 wins by way of knockout and the rest by submission.

2. Said Nurmagomedov called out Sean O'Malley following the win at UFC Fortaleza

Following his impressive win against Ramos at UFC Fortaleza, Said Nurmagomedov claimed that he wanted to be the guy to stop surging Bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley's hype train in the UFC. Said claimed that the promotion projects O'Malley as a phenomenon but he would prove that notion wrong in a clash with the latter inside the Octagon.

“There is a fighter Sean O’Malley, everyone is talking about him like he’s a superstar, but I know the UFC just promotes him,” Nurmagomedov said though a translator post-fight at UFC Fortaleza. “His style is similar like my style and I see there is nothing special in him. I would really like to fight him in the next fight.

1. Said Nurmagomedov isn't Khabib's cousin

There remains a huge confusion among MMA fans and media regarding Said’s ties with the undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib. Misinformed reports continue to claim that the pair are cousins and that may have stemmed from the fact that Said once referred to Khabib as his "brother," meaning that the latter is like a brother to him and some have misconstrued his comment.

Khabib himself clarified that he isn't related to Said during an interview with RT Sport in early 2018.

“Of course I know him, he’s a good friend, he’s an amazing fighter, but he’s not my cousin even though we have the same name,” Khabib said. He has a very big chance in the UFC”

Said has previously said that he doesn’t feel any pressure because he shares a surname with the undefeated lightweight champ, claiming that he wants to build his own legacy, just like his more famous counter-part Khabib.

“Khabib is going to have his own legacy, and I’m going to try to make my own.”