MMA

Khabib Nurmagomedov Record & Legacy

khabib nurmagomedov record

Status: Khabib Nurmagomedov: Retired

The record of Khabib Nurmagomedov portrays how impressive the Russian has been throughout his 9-year-long UFC career.

Nicknamed “The Eagle,” Khabib has produced some memorable UFC moments ever since his 2011 debut, including an impressive UFC 229 win over UFC sensation Conor McGregor.


The current UFC Lightweight champion was scheduled to take on Tony Ferguson in UFC 249 back in April. But, he had to withdraw as he got stuck in Russia because of international travel bans due to the pandemic.
In recent days, Khabib has lost his father and his first-ever trainer Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov to Covid-19.

Understandably, the 31-year-old would need some personal time to cope with such a tragedy. So, maybe, we won’t be seeing him back in the ring soon.

This piece celebrates the remarkable UFC journey Khabib has enjoyed so far. He has featured in 28 bouts so far, and has emerged victorious in all occasions.

But before we dive right into Khabib Nurmagomedov record, let’s have a brief look at his childhood days.


Early Life

Khabib, “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov is considered one of the all-time best Mixed Martial Artists on the planet. Born in September 1988 and raised in Dagestan, Russia.


His father, Nurmogemodev Sr. was a keen wrestler and also worked for the Russian military, training them in hand to hand combat.


Khabib started learning wrestling from his father which progressed quickly into battling with bears. Yes, you read that right! He brawled with four-legged Russian bears!


Bear Vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov


While success in bear wrestling will not officially count in Khabib Nurmagomedov record, we have to show you this footage of a 9-year-old Khabib battling it out with a bear.


We’re not sure if this is normal practice in Dagestan but it seems to have paid dividends. Maybe this is why we could not see anyone in the UFC who can tackle Khabib’s grappling and wrestling techniques?


In 2012, Khabib participated in the North American Grappling Association World Championship in the welterweight category, and he won the tournament and proved himself as the best grappler of the era.


Facts, Stats, and Ranking

Khabib Record
Khabib Nurmagomedov

His winning streak and dominance against the top contenders make him one the best fighters of his generation. His grappling prowess is unmatched in the contemporary MMA scene, according to many UFC analysts. Pundits also highlight his grounding and pounding skills as one of his strong suits.


He has the longest winning streak in the history of MMA. In his 28 professional fights, he has never tasted defeat. He has eight KOs, ten submissions, and the same number of decision victories.


He has a KO ratio of 30%, while the proportion of submissions and decisions is 36% each. 


Khabib’s striking accuracy is 50%, as he landed 657 significant strikes in his entire career while throwing 1323. Mentioned previously, his grappling skills are the best in the world. From 116 takedown attempts, he landed 49 successfully. As of today, Khabib has defended 85% of takedown attempts of the opponents.


These numbers reflect Khabib Nurmagomedov record to perfection as an indomitable UFC Lightweight fighter.


Pound 4 Pound Rankings

As of June 2020, he is ranked second in the UFC pound for pound list, where the lightweight contender, Jon Jones, is number one. A victory of Khabib in a single bout can make him the P4P kingpin.


Although Khabib is the reigning champion of the UFC lightweight division, Justin Gaethje is the current interim champ and was extremely sharp last outing.


He has a world record of the most takedowns in a single fight. He completed this on the 25th of May 2013, in UFC 160. Dropping lightweight contender Abel Trujillo no less than 21 times.


Khabib Nurmagomedov record also shows his superiority in the art of deciding the fate of a fight right before the final bell rings. In 18 matches, he took it away from the hands of judges and dictated the results by a stoppage or submission.


In November 2016, Khabib faced Michael Johnson at UFC 205; he sealed off the match in the third round with a Kimura lock. 


During the rounds, Khabib kept asking Dana White for the McGregor’s fight, while tearing into Johnson. Sherdog.com awarded this fight as the ‘Beat Down Of The Year’. Which is also the same year he won ‘The Fighter of the Year’ award from World MMA Awards.

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Vacant Belt

Later on, Khabib won the vacant lightweight world championship belt after battering Al Laquinta at UFC 223. This victory awarded him his dream bout and the biggest payday at UFC 229.


Top 5 Khabib Nurmagodev Fights

5. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

UFC 160 (May 26, 2013)

On the back of a ruthless stoppage of Marcus Levasseur, Abel Trujillo was in no short of confidence as he faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in a UFC 160 match-up. But, Trujillo proved to be no match for the “The Eagle.” By the time the tie was decided, Khabib had set a UFC record of completing 21 takedowns.


4. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Rafael dos Anjos

UFC On Fox 11 (April 20, 2014)

Rafael dos Anjos was a rising star in the UFC Lightweight Division when he had met Khabib. The Brazilian did go on to claim the UFC Lightweight title the following year, but not before receiving a battering from the Dagestan-born fighter. In a fairly one-sided affair, Khabib threw Rafael all over the octagon like a rag doll and overwhelmed him with a swarm of flurries.


3. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Michael Johnson

UFC 2O5 (December 11, 2016)

After a sudden change in schedule, Khabib met Micheal Johnson in UFC 205 instead of then Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Johnson had a solid start to the fight and landed several strong punches on Khabib. But, after a successful takedown attempt the balance tipped towards Khabib’s favor. The Russian regained control with a series of brutal punches and finished off the game with a submission.


2. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta

UFC 223 (April 8, 2018)

Up until this point, Khabib Nurmagomedov had no UFC Championship Belt to show for despite his undisputed supremacy. He finally got his shot at the title when he fought Al Iaquinta at UFC 223. Iaquinta couldn’t cope with Khabib’s phenomenal grappling and succumbed to a dismal defeat, extending Khabib’s winning run to 26 bouts.


1. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor

UFC 229 (October 7, 2018)

The agility of Conor McGregor vs. the ruthlessness of Khabib Nurmagomedov. No wonder this tie was the first to cross 2 million PPV hits in the history of UFC. However, in the ring Khabib made light work of Conor, who was the only UFC fighter to have two UFC belts at his possession. The Irishman capitulated to a rear-naked choke in the fourth round and handed over the bragging rights to his Russian rival.


Upcoming Fights and Retirement

Due to Covid-19, a dream fight between Khabib vs. Tony El Cucuy Ferguson has been cancelled for the 5th time. They were going to fight at UFC 249, but due to the international travel ban, Khabib could not reach the USA.


He was replaced by the hard-hitting Justin Gaethje, who pulled an upset victory against the El Cucuy; Justin stopped him in the fourth round.


Khabib hinted to hang up his gloves after 3 or 4 fights. Is there anybody who can bring the bear grappling kid’s dominance to an end? Justin is in the direct line of fire, we are sure Conor McGregor would love a rematch. Is GSP attempting to come out of retirement to face him?

Conclusion

Khabib Nurmagodev had an invincible record in the regional circuits of Russia before starting his UFC career. The transition to UFC, a premium MMA competition that has worldwide following, from local MMA tournaments is not an easy ask, given the vast difference in competitiveness.

That said, the Russian never seemed out of place in the UFC octagon from day 1. In an illustrious UFC career, that has been in existence for nearly a decade now, Khabib Nurmagodev record remains as flawless as ever. I hope to see him back in action soon and expand his legacy.

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