Last Updated on March 3, 2023
Who Is Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov is a Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter and former professional mixed martial artist.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered one of the most talented mixed martial artists in the sport’s history. During his career as an MMA fighter, Nurmagomedov mostly competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). He broke the record for being the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, having held that title from April 2018 until his eventual retirement in March 2021.
Nurmagomedov is also one of the few mixed martial artists ever to have retired with an unbeaten record. He participated in a total of 29 fights and won all of them, including eight by knockout, eleven by submission and ten by decision.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is also a 2-time Combat Sambo World Champion with a vast experience in multiple disciplines, including sambo, wrestling, and judo. At the time of his retirement, Nurmagomedov topped the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He also topped Fight Matrix’s list of the best lightweights of all time. Plus, he’s considered the first Muslim ever to win a UFC title.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov |
| Popular Name: | Khabib Nurmagomedov |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | September 20, 1988 |
| Age: | 34 years |
| Parents: | Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov (mother unknown) |
| Siblings: | Muhammad Nurmagomedov and Amina Nurmagomedov |
| Birth Place: | Sildi, Dagestan ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Sildi, Dagestan, Russia) |
| Nationality: | Russian |
| Ethnicity: | Avar |
| Education: | Makhachkala Finance and Economics College and Plekhanov Russian University of Economics |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Patimat Nurmagomedova |
| Children: | Fatima Nurmagomedova, Magomed Nurmagomedov, and Husayn Nurmagomedov |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | USD 50 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Mixed Martial Arts and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 70 kg; In pounds: 154 lbs. |
Early Life
Khabib Nurmagomedov was born on September 20, 1988, in Sildi, Dagestan ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Sildi, Dagestan, Russia), to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. His father was a former athlete and veteran of the Soviet Army, whereas his mother’s name is largely unknown.
When Nurmagomedov was young, his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov moved the family from Sildi to a two-story building in Kirovaul. Abdulmanap converted the ground floor of the building into a gym, and Khabib became interested in martial arts after watching other students train at the facility.
Khabib Nurmagomedov began wrestling at the age of eight, mostly practicing under the tutelage of his father. In 2001, Nurmagomedov’s family moved to Makhachkala, where he began training in wrestling and later in judo and combat sambo.
Career Information
Khabib Nurmagomedov made his professional mixed martial arts debut in September 2008. His career took off almost immediately, as he won four fights in under one month.
On October 11, 2008, Nurmagomedov became the inaugural Atrium Cup tournament champion after beating all three of his opponents in Moscow. He went on to compile an impressive unbeaten record in the tournament over the next three years, finishing 11 out of 12 opponents.
In 2011, Khabib Nurmagomedov competed in seven fights for the ProFC promotion and won all, either by technical knockout or submission. Later that year, Nurmagomedov signed a multi-fight contract to compete in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Nurmagomedov’s debut UFC match was held on January 20, 2012, against Kamal Shalorus. He won the fight via submission in the third round.
Nurmagomedov proceeded to win all his other UFC fights, including winning against:
• Gleison Tibau on July 7, 2012, via unanimous decision
• Thiago Tavares on January 19, 2013, via knockout in the first round
• Abel Trujillo on May 25, 2013, via unanimous decision
• Pat Healy on September 21, 2013, via unanimous decision
• Rafael dos Anjos on April 19, 2014, via unanimous decision
• Darrell Horcher on April 16, 2016, via technical knockout in the second round
• Michael Johnson on November 12, 2016, via submission in the third round
• Edson Barboza on December 30, 2017, via unanimous decision
• Al Iaquinta on April 7, 2018, via unanimous decision (this is also the win that made Nurmagomedov the UFC Lightweight Champion)
• Conor McGregor on October 6, 2018, via submission in the fourth round
In June 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov signed another multi-fight deal with the UFC. The first match under the new deal was against interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. Nurmagomedov won the match, which was held on September 7, 2019, via submission in the third round.
Nurmagomedov continued his winning streak, including a win against Justin Gaethje on October 24, 2020, via technical knockout. After winning against Gaethje, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced retirement from mixed martial arts.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Net Worth
Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered one of the most talented fighters ever to have stepped into the Octagon. He’s also one of the wealthiest mixed martial artists of his generation, with total career earnings of $14,770,000.
As of 2023, Nurmagomedov had a net worth of $50 million. He has earned the vast majority of his wealth from his decorated MMA career.
Nurmagomedov’s MMA earnings were mostly in the form of fight participation, winning bonuses, performance bonuses, promotional bonus, and pay-per-view earnings. The following are some of his highest-grossing fights:
• Fight against Rafael dos Anjos – He earned $64,000 in total prize money (including $32,000 for showing up and $32,000 as winning bonus)
• Fight against Darrell Horcher – He earned $135,000 in total prize money (including $65,000 for showing up, $65,000 as winning bonus, and $5,000 as promotional bonus)
• Fight against Michael Johnson – He earned $170,000 in total prize money (including $80,000 for showing up, $80,000 as winning bonus, and $10,000 as promotional bonus)
• Fight against Edson Barboza – He earned $230,000 in total prize money (including $85,000 for showing up, $85,000 as winning bonus, $10,000 as promotional bonus, and $50,000 as performance bonus)
• Fight against Al Iaquinta – He earned $530,000 in total prize money (including $500,000 for showing up and $30,000 as fight week incentive)
• Fight against Conor McGregor – He earned $2.04 million in total prize money (including $2 million for showing up and $40,000 as fight week incentive; the total earnings were $1.54 million following a $500,000 fine due to a post-match incident)
• Fight against Dustin Poirier – He earned $6.09 million in total prize money (including $6 million for showing up and $90,000 in bonuses)
• Fight against Justin Gaethje – He earned $6.09 million in total prize money (including $6 million for showing up and $90,000 in bonuses)
After retiring as an MMA fighter, Khabib Nurmagomedov purchased the Russian-based MMA promotion, Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC), for $1 million. He subsequently renamed it the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC).
Social media is another potential income earner for Nurmagomedov. The decorated MMA fighter is the most-followed Russian Instagram personality, with over 28 million followers as of April 2021. So, he possibly earns from his Instagram account in monetized posts and sponsored ads.
Lessons from Khabib Nurmagomedov
1. Always keep your promises
After winning his fight against Justin Gaethje, Khabib Nurmagomedov formally announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts. He explained that the decision was arrived at following a promise he had made to his mother to never fight without his late father.
2. Keep your private life away from the prying eyes of the media
Despite being one of the most popular MMA personalities, Nurmagomedov has managed to keep his private life away from the public limelight.
3. It’s not always about the money
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the few athletes who never placed money before his passion for the game. He once said, ‘I don’t fight for the money. I fight for my legacy. I fight for history. I fight for my people.’
Famous Quotes by Khabib Nurmagomedov
• I never fight for the money, but every person is different.
• I train, eat, sleep, and repeat.
• I want to stay humble, but I have to talk because the other guys talk too much, and… I understand the crazy power the UFC PR machine has.
• My best background is, like, smash opponents. I all the time go forward. I all the time try to take down somebody. Make him give up. This is my style, you know. This is what I do all my life.
• Of course I am tough, but I am smart, too. I’m more smart than tough. People watching my record and say that this guy is tough. This is not about tough; this is about mind. You think when you fight. This is about everything.
Conclusion
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Although he never steps into the Octagon as a fighter, Nurmagomedov will go down in history as one of the MMA fighters with the most impressive unbeaten professional records. He has a net worth of $50 million as of 2023.
