Khabib Nurmagomedov (born September 20, 1988) is a Russian mixed martial artist and the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest grapplers in MMA history and holds several impressive accolades including being undefeated in professional competition with a record of 28-0.
A product of Dagestan’s combat sambo system, he began his career competing extensively in Russia before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2011. In April 2018, he defeated Al Iaquinta to become UFC Lightweight Champion. He has since defended his title against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 on October 6th, 2018 and Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 on September 7th 2019.
Nurmagomedov is known for his dominant grappling ability which often leads him to victory via submission or technical knockout due to ground-and-pound strikes from mount position. His primary style consists of wrestling techniques such as takedowns, throws, trips and clinch control combined with judo techniques such as sweeps and hip throws as well as powerful punches from top position during ground-and-pound scenarios when an opponent attempts to stand up off their back or knees; all these are frequently employed by Nurmagomedov throughout his fights both offensively and defensively. His mentality towards fighting puts emphasis on physical conditioning over technique—as evidenced by his signature pre fight ritual consisting of running up steep mountains around Dagestan—which allows him to outlast opponents even if they have superior skillset in other areas such as striking or submissions defense.
Overall Khabib Nurmagomedov’s skill set makes him one of the most successful fighters currently active in MMA today; he has also gained immense popularity amongst fans due not only to his success but also because of his charismatic attitude outside cage that blends aggression coupled with humbleness making him a fan favorite globally
