Khabib "The Eagle" Nurmagomedov
Born in the mountains of Dagestan, Khabib Nurmagomedov's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, was an experienced veteran in both judo and sambo, having won championships in both. His love for martial arts was not limited to personal accomplishment but extended toward being a force within his community of coaching and mentoring others in the ways of judo and sambo. The high standard and hard driving style of coaching was instrumental to Abdulmanap for Khabib to become who he is now, where it had driven Khabib into extreme levels when he was at his early stages. Perhaps the most notable illustration of this has been the bear wrestling when he was only nine years old.
"When I was young, my father took me to the mountains to wrestle with bears. It was a way of teaching me strength, discipline, and how to never back down. People think it’s crazy, but it was just part of our culture and training. It made me who I am today." - Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov came into the UFC undefeated at 16-0, having achieved his dream that he had worked so hard for. For the first time in his career, though, his father, Abdulmanap, wasn't going to be cage-side to see it. A denial of a visa prohibited Abdulmanap from entering the United States, but that didn't deter Khabib one bit. Without his father's presence, he stuck to the plan they had worked on together-to become UFC champion.
Khabib continued his dominant career, remaining undefeated and not losing a single round, slowly working his way up the lightweight rankings. However, his dream of becoming champion was put on hold when the hugely popular former featherweight champion Conor McGregor moved up to lightweight and was granted a title shot despite having no relevant wins in the division. For years, Khabib had been grinding in the lightweight division and felt outraged at what he saw as an injustice. This would spark a fiery rivalry between the two fighters, one that would become among the most iconic and deepest in UFC history.
Finally, in 2018, when Conor McGregor was forced to vacate the lightweight title, Khabib Nurmagomedov had his chance to prove himself. He took up the mantle against the top contender for the vacant title and put on a display of dominance in every facet of MMA. The victory brought in for Khabib the UFC lightweight championship-a long-awaited dream.
The rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor reached levels rarely seen when Conor began taking personal shots at Khabib's religion and country. This only served to make the gulf between their supporters even wider, turning what should have been a rivalry between two fighters into a cultural and ideological one: Russia and Islam versus Ireland. The tension culminated in 2018 and saw a collection of hot-headed incidents that finally saw the two face off in the octagon and break the record for most pay-per-view buys in MMA history.
"I don’t like when people talk about my religion, my country, my family. Conor crossed the line. I don’t forget things like this. He talked too much, and this is why the fight became personal. I was focused on my goal, and after the fight, I felt like I did my job. It wasn’t about the fight anymore; it was about showing respect." - Khabib Nurmagomedov on Conor Mcgregor
Khabib never lost his poise during the fight and never allowed the venom of hate to block his vision. He dominated the fight, and in the fourth round, he submitted Conor, earning him his long-anticipated victory. But victory's euphoria lasted barely a moment. When the fight ended, all of that emotional weight began to crash down on Khabib: the insults, years of tension, and the verbal attacks hurled at him from Conor's corner. The response was an eruption of pure anger from Khabib as he leaped over the cage and charged towards Conor's corner to attack his corner members.
The arena went haywire-people just basically throwing drinks and anything else they could find, a boiling point in which there was an all-out brawl. The hatred between the two fighters and their supporters came to a boil. Both Khabib and Conor later received two-year suspensions for their part in the melee by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That fight and the fallout that followed would live in memory as one of the most controversial, heated moments in MMA history.
After Khabib's fight at UFC 229, and two years after his suspensions, he was back to defend his title against interim champion Dustin Poirier, this time in Abu Dhabi, where finally he could have his father, Abdulmanap, back at his corner.
"For me, it was very important to have my father back in my corner, especially after everything we went through. He was always the one who believed in me from the very beginning. Having him there again, after all the struggles, was a feeling I can’t describe. It was like completing a mission together." - Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib once again dominated his fight, submitting Dustin the third round. But after the bout, instead of jumping the cage in anger like before, Khabib leaped over in joy, embracing Dana White with gratitude for giving him the opportunity to perform in front of his father once again.
This is also a show of sportsmanship and class on Khabib's part. Then, he donated to a fundraiser that Dustin started for a cause very close to Dustin's heart. Even in victory, Khabib showed his generosity by giving his opponent a positive gesture and leaving behind a mark of humility.
"After the fight, I wanted to do something positive. Dustin is a good man, and he is doing something important for the people of Louisiana. Even though we are competitors, it’s important to help each other outside the cage. I’m happy to support his cause, and I hope it makes a difference." - Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tragedy struck as his dad, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died due to COVID-19. Khabib had three months on his hands till his next defense of his title against the new interim champion, Justin Gaethje. And again, Abu Dhabi hosted that fight, but Khabib had entered the octagon this time without his dad's companionship. The great loss saw Khabib promise his mother that this was going to be his last fight. Carrying the weight of his father's absence on his shoulders, Khabib went on to make another dominant performance, finishing Justin in the second round and solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history with a perfect record of 29-0.
"This was my last fight. I promised my mother that I would retire after this. I don’t want to keep fighting and risk my health for something that I’ve already achieved. I’ve done everything I wanted to do in this sport, and now it’s time to move on." - Khabib Nurmagomedov
Although Khabib retired from fighting, he didn't leave the sport wholesale. His childhood training partner, Islam Makhachev-also coached by Abdulmanap-started to rise up the lightweight ranks. It was always the vision of Abdulmanap for Khabib to retire as champion, then for Islam to follow as the next lightweight titleholder. Taking over the mentorship role left by his father, Khabib cornered Islam during his fights. Finally, in 2022, Islam accomplished what was planned out by Khabib and his father: becoming the UFC champion of the lightweight division. He thus fulfilled "the father's plan" and completed what Khabib and his father had been working toward for years, which means that the family name of Nurmagomedov would live on in the sport.