The rise and fall of Khabib Nurmagomedov
The rise and fall of Khabib Nurmagomedov
Once a UFC star and one of the most popular Muslim athletes alive, Khabib Nurmagomedov is facing an existential threat to his legacy. So how exactly did the "Eagle of Dagestan" fall from grace?
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On a brisk autumn night in October 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov first experienced the sound of 15,000 people chanting his name. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star stood on the outskirts of the football pitch at the Anji Arena in his native Dagestan, where more than 15,000 people had gathered to celebrate their countryman’s historic victory against Irish sensation Conor McGregor. Nurmagomedov had retained his lightweight title against his bitter rival and, after a 7000-mile flight back from Las Vegas, headed straight from the airport to meet his fans.
After soaring to victory, the “Eagle of Dagestan” had returned home a champion.
The crowd reached a fever pitch as cries of “Khabib! Khabib! Khabib!” thundered through the stadium. Nurmagomedov smiled and waved to his fans, humbled by their show of affection. As he stepped onto the field and made his way to the makeshift stage set up in his honour, the crowd followed suit, spilling out of their seats and pouring onto the pitch as they clamoured for a closer view of their hero.
Nurmagomedov stepped onto the stage. Behind him stood his entourage and his father, Abdulmanap, an accomplished wrestler-turned-coach who dedicated his life to training Dagestan’s disenfranchised youth. Nurmagomedov honed his craft under his father’s tutelage, and it was because of him that their family name was now synonymous with Dagestan’s fighting dynasty.
When Nurmagomedov finally spoke, he started by thanking God and his father, as he always did, before turning his attention to the crowd. “We all know what a great story [Dagestan] has, and what our people have gone through,” he said during this speech, which was attended by the republic’s minister of sports as well as other leading politicians. “Nothing will break us. Eagles don't belong in a cage.”
Much has changed in the six years since Nurmagomedov’s triumphant return to Dagestan. His father, who was a constant presence throughout his son’s career, passed away from coronavirus complications in 2020. Months later, with his legacy seemingly secure, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement. Yet he remained the people’s champion, celebrated for his unprecedented accolades and his status as one of the most successful Muslim athletes since Muhammad Ali.
By 2022, things began to change. First, Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking mass anti-mobilization demonstrations across Dagestan—the first in over a decade—which Nurmagomedov chose not to join. Reports then surfaced of his legal troubles with the Russian government, including tax evasion and possessing a secret UAE passport, leading to the seizure of his bank accounts. Following a recent terror attack in Dagestan, it was revealed that one of the gunmen had trained at Nurmagomedov’s MMA gym, prompting a raid on his facility.
Nurmagomedov now faces an existential threat to his legacy. So, how did arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history witness such a dramatic fall from grace?
The Eagle & the Bear
Nurmagomedov was born in 1988 in the modest mountainside village of Silde in Dagestan, an ethnically diverse republic in the North Caucasus region of Russia—a region wrought with corruption, violence, and extremism. Children raised during this era were at risk of religious radicalization, particularly given the republic’s poor social mobility and limited wealth. Combat sports, particularly wrestling, emerged as one of the precious few alternatives to religious fanaticism available to young Dagestani men.
Aware of the risks facing his children, Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, founded a wrestling school the basement of his home in Silde. The former USSR champion grappler trained young prospects in the grappling arts, giving them hope for a future outside of guerilla warfare. This evidently rubbed off on his son, whom Abdulmanap claimed “took his first steps on the wrestling mat.”
One morning in 1997—three days removed from Nurmagomedov’s ninth birthday—Abdulmanap led his son out towards the edge of the forest, where a bear cub was chained to a tree. The father turned on a handheld camera, pointed it at his son, and ordered him to the wrestle the animal. Nurmagomedov, who was already well accustomed to Dagestani culture, which demanded respect for one’s father and elders, knew better than to question his father. He bent down, tucked his chin into his chest, and lunged towards the bear, taking what would be the first step towards securing his unique legacy.
In the 25 years since that fateful encounter with the bear cub—an encounter that was eventually leaked online and became an almost mythical part of his unique persona—Nurmagomedov went on to become one of the most successful fighters in UFC history. He was the first Dagestani fighter to become a UFC champion and remained undefeated until his eventual retirement at age 32 in October 2020. His unblemished resume is matched only by his relentless pace and wrestling acumen, which cemented his place as arguably the most dominant fighter in UFC history.
Nurmagomedov’s popularity extended beyond his indomitable aura. His broken English gave him a unique charm that captivated Western audiences, while his pious demeanour earned the respect of Muslims around the world. The fighter also exhibited pride in his distinct cultural heritage, donning a papakha, a woollen hat that symbolizes the history of his people, ahead of each of his UFC outings. The distinctive headpiece was once worn by the mountaineers and warriors who resided in the mountains of Dagestan; it is perhaps no coincidence that Nurmagomedov chose it to be one of the identifying features of his fighting persona.
Nurmagomedov’s choice to intertwine his brand with Dagestan’s cultural identity made him a hero among his own people. However, it would ultimately backfire after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Be like Muhammad Ali”
On Sep. 21, 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s announced a “partial mobilization” to bolster Russian troops invading Ukraine. The announcement sparked protests across various Russian regions, including the republic of Dagestan, where thousands took to the streets in the regional capital of Makhachkala to demonstrate against Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II. Footage posted to social media showed protesters confronting local law enforcement officers. In one video, a security officer can be seen fleeing from a group of women attempting to trip him up, while a second video showed another group of women confronting an enlistment officer, demanding to know “why are you taking our children?”