Eternal Khabib: who is the athlete behind the 29 victories? Follow the trajectory of the Russian, who leaves MMA undefeated

Abdulmanap and Khabib Nurmagomedov in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc

From September 2008 to October 2020, MMA fans had the pleasure of following the trajectory of one of the sport's most successful athletes. With a serious look and unsurpassed talent, Khabib Nurmagomedov won the world by proving that the predictable is not always negative, and leaves the sport undefeated with 29 fights and, probably, the best lightweight mark (up to 70,3kg) in history.

See too

Khabib erases Justin Gaethje, unifies belt at UFC 254 and announces retirement from MMA

VIDEO: Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov's submission of Justin Gaethje at UFC 254

Born in 1988, in Sidi, Russia, he was introduced to martial arts since he was a child. His father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, a specialist in Combat Sambo, a grappling developed in his country, shaped his pupil so that he became one of the most efficient athletes in the sport.

PUBLICITY:

Confidence in the sport was so great that the Russian even caused controversy in Brazil by sporting a shirt with the following print: 'if sambo were easy, it would be called jiu-jitsu'. At the time, the attitude went badly and the athlete ended up retracting it.

More efficient or not, it is a fact that sambo was the basis for Nurmagomedov to reach the level he is today.

PUBLICITY:

Bear training

A few years ago, a video ended up going viral on social media. In the images, a child appeared practicing a type of wrestling with a bear cub. Even though he received some criticism about the use of the animal for training, Khabib confirmed that he was the boy, proving that his upbringing in the sport comes from a young age.

Father as a reference

Respected in his country, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov is known as a great discoverer of talent for combat sports. Having a son with fighting qualities, it is not difficult to analyze how important his father was for Khabib's development.

PUBLICITY:

A Muslim, the UFC champion strictly follows the precepts of his religion. He does not drink, does not smoke and there are no reports of problems involving the athlete, such as drugs or other harmful substances.

The fighter always made it clear that, even though he had stabilized financially, he had not stopped living with his father. Abdulmanap, then, acted as a kind of support for a young man in need of direction.

FROM CSFU to UFC

Khabib's first fight as a professional in MMA took place in September 2008, in the CSFU – Champions League. On that occasion, the Russian faced Vusal Bayramov and, straight away, gave his calling card: submission in the first round.

PUBLICITY:

From Bayramov to Ultimate, Nurmagomedov needed 15 more presentations before catching the attention of the promoters of the pompous UFC. In the company chaired by Dana White, the 'Eagle' arrived in 2012, disrupting the lightweight category, submitting Kamal Shalorus in the third round.

One by one, opponents fell by the wayside and Khabib drew more and more attention for his different and effective style.

Towards glory

Many have tried, but none have been able to unlock the secrets behind Nurmagomedov's victories. Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza…everyone became a victim.

Accumulating victories fight after fight and not giving his rivals a chance, the belt was a matter of time and he arrived in 2018. At UFC 233, the Russian was scheduled to face Tony Ferguson, but the North American ended up giving way to To the fifth.

In the clash, he gave logic. With a confident performance, Khabib dominated his rival and won the category title, even breaking the record for most rounds won (32) in the organization. The Russian era began.

Conor McGregor: the historic rivalry

In 2018, Khabib was already known for his invincibility and his achievements ended up catching the eyes of the company's promoters for an opportunity that would go down in history: a fight against the phenomenon, Conor McGregor.

At that point, the Irishman's fame had already reached proportions never seen before in MMA. Rich, former champion in two different divisions, talented and highly entertaining, the wedding ended up being perfect for the fans.

McGregor and Conor were the perfect antithesis. The Russian, restrained and religious; the Irishman, loud-mouthed, flamboyant and outspoken.

The promotion of the clash between the two ended up going beyond the limits of the Octagon. There were family offenses, disrespect for religion, attempted aggression on a bus, among others.

UFC 229

After months of exchanging barbs, the time had come to settle the score. The date: October 10, 2018. The location: Las Vegas (USA), the scene of historic fights in combat sports.

In the confrontation, Khabib was trying to defend the position that had once belonged to Conor, in 2016, but which was removed from the Irishman due to inactivity. McGregor, considered one of the best stand-up athletes in Ultimate, would put his talent on the line against an opponent who specializes in grappling.

For those who remember, it gave the logic. In four rounds, Khabib was superior for almost the entire time, dominating the actions and even talking to his rival during his attacks.

In the fourth round, a submission that made history. After an almost locked rear-naked choke, the Irishman couldn't stand the pressure from the Russian and gave up.

Then Khabib exploded. After being heavily provoked by his opponent in press conferences and on social media, the champion jumped over the bars of the Octagon and tried to attack members of McGregor's team, causing widespread confusion, which earned the athlete a nine-month suspension.

Even with the post-fight controversy, the outcome of the show was more than positive. To this day, Khabib x McGregor is the most profitable fight in the history of the sport, selling more than 2,4 million pay-per-views.

Return after suspension

When he was removed from the sport, the UFC opted to create an interim belt for the lightweight division. Dustin poirier won the title in a superfight against the then featherweight champion (up to 65,7kg), Max Holloway. Only joy for the American, however, the concern would come next: he would have to beat Nurmagomedov to remain leader of the group.

The fight between Poirier and Khabib took place in September 2019, at UFC 242. The Russian returned to the octagon after almost a year of inactivity.

When the bell sounded, however, the world didn't realize that the athlete hadn't performed for so long. Nurmagomedov took no notice of the American and easily submitted his opponent in the third round. He had resumed his post.

2020: a year of tragedies

The year 2020 has been terrible for millions of people around the world. With the coronavirus pandemic, several families lost loved ones, in the pandemic that continues to claim victims in several countries.

Covid-19 directly influenced sports and, of course, MMA. Khabib was scheduled to fight his dream against Tony Ferguson, UFC 249. After misinformation between the company and agents, the Russian ended up leaving the show and giving way to Justin gaethje. So, another interim belt.

In the duel between the Americans, Gaethje shocked the world and made what seemed impossible happen. An underdog, the athlete knocked out Ferguson, one of the most feared men in the organization, and won the right to challenge Khabib for title unification.

Father's death

The year, which was not good, ended up being worse for Nurmagomedov. His father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, ended up being one of the victims of Covid-19 and passed away in early July. The champion, then, lost his biggest reference in his career and responsible for his success in the sport.

Despite the personal tragedy, Khabib agreed to face Justin for title unification. The clash ended up being scheduled for October 24, 2020.

For the fight, the Russian would step into the octagon to carry on his father's legacy and maintain his unbeaten record in the duel.

UFC 254: the end

After months of waiting, the day of the long-awaited meeting between Khabib and Gaethje arrived. The chosen stage was Abu Dhabi, the UFC's refuge during the pandemic to take athletes prevented from entering the United States.

With 28 fights and no defeats, Khabib would face the opponent who, on paper, would be the most dangerous on his record.

In the fight, however, the Russian, again, made it look easy. Confident, dominant and relentless, Nurmagomedov needed two rounds to erase his opponent with a submission and carve his name deeper into the history of the sport.

After the confrontation, the unexpected. Still in the octagon, during the interview, Khabib removed his gloves, a common attitude for those who want to announce their retirement, and the final word: 'it was my last'.

The 32-year-old champion stated that there was no point in following his father in the sport by his side and revealed that he had made a promise to his mother that the fight against Gaethje would, in fact, be his last. Thus, the career of one of the most impressive athletes MMA has ever seen comes to an end.