Conor McGregor returns to the UFC after two years out to reclaim the Lightweight Belt he won from Eddie Alvarez in 2016. The current holder is Khabib Nurmagomedov, a wrestler from Dagestan who currently holds the longest undefeated streak in UFC history. For all his fame and reputation, and despite the verbal ground-and-pound that was delivered at the press conference last week, McGregor remains an underdog for this fight. So who is Khabib and why is he so dangerous? And what’s going on with the weird furry hat? We take an in-depth look at one of the UFC’s most interesting yet enigmatic fighters.
UNIQUE UPBRINGING
The Republic of Dagestan lies within the North Caucasus Mountains. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the region has suffered war and terrorist activities, leading to poverty and violence for the people there. As a way to keep kids off the streets and to involve them in one of Dagestan’s enduring traditions – the art of wrestling – many people open wrestling schools. Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, opened one such school and with his military background, ran the school very much like a 24/7 training camp. There were some questionable training methods used at this school, as this training video shows. Yes, that really is a young Khabib fighting a bear. Khabib was wrestling humans from the age of six, is a two-time Sambo world champion, and his first four MMA fights took place in the same month.
SAMBO, JUDO, PANKRATION
Khabib is a grappler, but unlike many wrestlers in the UFC, doesn’t rely on BJJ. Instead, he utilises a combination of three martial arts, Sambo, Judo and Pankration. Sambo was developed by the Russian army during the reign of the USSR. Working closely in conjunction with Kano Jigoro, the founder of Judo, the technique was developed to fit in with traditional Turkic wrestling styles. It also integrates some of the most effective moves from other martial arts (in very much the same way as Krav Maga does). Pankration goes back much further, and is essentially Ancient Greek MMA, involving wrestling but also kicks, punches and submissions. What this means for Khabib is that not only can he take his opponents down pretty much at will, his wrestling is different from BJJ, immobilising opponents so that further attacks can be made on them, rather than seeking a submission or stranglehold.
UNDEFEATED
Khabib is undefeated in 26 fights. What’s more impressive, with 10 of those fights coming by way of decision, is that he’s never lost a round. He also holds the record for the most takedowns in a fight, dropping Abel Trujillo a staggering 21 times during their bout in 2013. While he is not the most graceful boxer ever to enter the octagon, Khabib is an absolute nightmare to deal with if he ever gets you on the ground (which, given his level of skill, is often). Again, the difference between his wrestling and BBJ is clear. While Jiu Jitsu practitioners are looking to work their way into a submission hold, Khabib is looking to break them. He smothers his opponents, swarming over them, trapping arms and legs and delivering a constant barrage of punches and elbows. In a number of fights, the commentary team have expressed sympathy for his opponents, as round after round is spent on their back, dazed as blows continue to reign down upon them.
UNTESTED?
This is a bit cruel, but despite all his successes, Khabib hasn’t always faced the the toughest opponents. This isn’t always his fault. He’s been scheduled to face some properly dangerous fighters – Donald Cerrone, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz, Eddie Alvarez and Max Holloway. But for some reason or another, these have always fallen through, and other, slightly lesser names have filled the gap. The Alvarez cancellation was particularly harsh. He had signed contracts to fight Alvarez at either UFC 205 or 206, but the champ preferred the big money fight of Conor McGregor instead. The only two fighters ranked inside the current top 15 that he has beaten are Edson Barboza and Rafael Dos Anjos. He also managed to submit the always-dangerous Michael Johnson, so it’s not like he hasn’t had a significant test. But McGregor will certainly be his toughest challenge yet and when it comes to fighting the big names, there appears to be another problem.
THE PULL-OUT MERCHANT
All respect to Khabib, he weathered the storm of McGregor’s insults pretty well. There was only one moment when his calm exterior seemed to crack a little, and that’s when McGregor accused him of being a ‘pull-out merchant’. Khabib fights just seem to have a way of falling apart at the last minute. Probably the most damning evidence of this is the fact that attempts have been made to put together a fight between Khabib and Tony Ferguson no less than four times and twice against Donald Cerrone, all without success. Not all of these cancellations can be laid at Khabib’s door. The Cerrone fights were both cancelled due to a recurring knee injury that eventually put Khabib out of action for close to two years. For Ferguson, they are both at two cancellations each, and fans and UFC organisers alike are probably so frustrated with the whole situation that it is unlikely to be booked a fifth time unless one of them is holding a belt. When it came to Khabib’s shot at the Lightweight title vacated by McGregor, Ferguson was replaced by Max Holloway, who was then ruled unfit to compete due to his weight-cutting problems. Al Iaquinta was brought in as a replacement and beaten over five rounds to give Khabib the title. Whether the Khabib curse will hit UFC 229 or not isn’t clear and while we all hope it doesn’t happen, it’s worth noting that Tony Ferguson is waiting in the wings for an opportunity to step up his game on the biggest stage of all.
THE PAPAKHA
Khabib has one of the few trademark outfits in the UFC. His hat, or papakha, is a traditional Dagestani hat worn by the shepherds that live in the mountains, and a symbol of manhood. One of Khabib’s team suggested he wear it as a joke early on in his UFC career, and it stuck – although for some reason, it always seems to end up on Joe Rogan’s head instead.
POPULARITY
While he can’t boast quite as many quotable moments as McGregor, he does have a few. One of them came after his victory over Michael Johnson at UFC 205. “Hey guys,” he said, addressing the crowd, “Ireland? 6 million. Russia? 150 million.” This is certainly true, and Khabib is probably the most popular currently active athlete in Russia. But he is certainly not as beloved as former MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, and his Dagestani roots, with all the associated problems that come with them, are too much for some fans to swallow.
TIRIMASU?
Of all the memes that surround Khabib (“Khabib smesh”, “no. 1 bullsh*t”, etc.), one seems a little out of place. Nevertheless, internet commenters are forever bringing up Tiramisu. It was actually Tony Ferguson who started this rumour. Khabib pulled out of his bout with Ferguson for UFC 209 (this is cancellation number three of four, for those of you keeping score at home) and during an interview, Ferguson claimed that Khabib’s camp had been unprofessional and for some reason, highlighted Khabib’s alleged choice of dessert at a restaurant some weeks earlier as part of the problem. Khabib, a devout Muslim, has denied eating the sugary yet slightly alcoholic treat. “I don’t eat this cake. I did nothing, but I don’t understand why people talk about this.” You and me both, Khabib.