Magomed Mustafaev (born August 2, 1988 in Dagestan) is a Russian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

, who competed in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight ...

division of the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...

Background

Magomed Mustafaev was born on February 8, 1988, in the village of Aimaki in modern-day Dagestan. He began training in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestli ...

while in elementary school. After high school, he moved to Sochi and started training MMA. He is the winner of the Pankration Black Sea Cup.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Mustafaev made his professional mixed martial arts debut on April 29, 2011, defeating fellow Russian Marat Medzhidov by TKO in the first round. The first loss on his professional record came in his next fight less than three months later against Dagestani Arsen Ubaidulaev due to a

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikog ...

. Mustafaev faced to Russian MMA prospect Andrei Koshkin on March 14, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 46. He won via submission in the second round. On September 1, 2014, Mustafaev competed in the Sochi Star 2014

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

Grand Prix. Mustafaev defeated Amirkhan Adaev and Gleb Morozov both by KO in the first round. Mustafaev followed up with another winning performance against Russian MMA prospect and WSOF fighter

Abubakar Nurmagomedov Abubakar Magomedovich Nurmagomedov (born November 13, 1989) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who is currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a three-time Combat Sambo World Championship bron ...

(cousin of

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov av, ХIабиб ГӀабдулманапил НурмухӀамадов (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division of the Ultima ...

) to claim the tournament victory and propel himself into consideration for a shot in a top tier MMA promotion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Following the tournament victory and a 10 fight win streak in various Russian MMA events, Mustafaev signed with the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

on November 6, 2014. In his move from Russian MMA promotions to the UFC, Mustafaev transitioned from Welterweight to the Lightweight division. Mustafaev first fought in the UFC opposite

Piotr Hallmann Piotr Hallmann (born 25 August 1987 in Gdynia) is a Polish mixed martial artist and second lieutenant in the Polish Navy. Hallmann has fought as a lightweight throughout his MMA career, and competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He i ...

on June 20, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 69 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Mustafaev won by TKO (doctor's stoppage) in the second round due to multiple cuts around the eyes of Hallmann. Mustafaev faced

Joe Proctor Joseph Edward Proctor (born August 10, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2008, Proctor was also a competitor o ...

UFC 194 ''UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally scheduled to take place on D ...

on December 12, 2015. He won the fight via TKO in the first round after a liver kick. Mustafaev faced Kevin Lee at

UFC Fight Night 99 ''UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 99'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on 19 November 2016 at The SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland Backgr ...

on November 19, 2016. He suffered an arm injury and lost the fight by submission due to a

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

in the second round. After an extended hiatus, due in part to an arm injury suffered in his last fight, Musafaev faced promotional newcomer

Rafael Fiziev Rafael Fiziev (born March 5, 1993) is an Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter, who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2022, he is #6 in the ...

on April 20, 2019 at

UFC Fight Night 149 ''UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 149'' or '' UFC on ESPN+ 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 20, 2019 at Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Pete ...

. Mustafaev won the fight by first round technical knockout. This win earned him the ''Performance of the Night'' award. Mustafaev was expected to face Don Madge on September 7, 2019 at

UFC 242 ''UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 7, 2019 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background The event mark ...

. However, on August 18, 2019, it was reported that Mustafaev was removed from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Mustafaev faced

Brad Riddell Bradley Stephen Riddell (born 30 September 1991) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Riddell netted several kickboxi ...

on February 23, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker. He lost the fight via split decision. Mustafaev was scheduled to face

Renato Moicano Renato Alves Carneiro better known as Renato Moicano (born May 21, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Moicano made a ...

on October 18, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 180 ''UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 180'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 38'' and ''UFC Fight Island 6'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 18 ...

. However, Moicano pulled out of the fight in mid-September for undisclosed reasons, and he was replaced by

Mateusz Gamrot Mateusz Gamrot (born December 11, 1990) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gamrot is a former KSW Featherweight Champion and KSW Lightwei ...

. In turn, the bout was scrapped entirely for undisclosed reasons. Mustafaev was expected to face Damir Ismagulov on October 30, 2021 at

UFC 267 ''UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 30, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background This event took plac ...

. However at the weigh-ins, Ismagulov came in at 163.5 pounds, missing weight by 7.5 pounds, the bout was subsequently cancelled by the UFC. Mustafaev was scheduled to face

Jamie Mullarkey Jamie Mullarkey (born 17 August 1994) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mullarkey grew up in Central Coast area, attending Erina High School. He beg ...

on October 22, 2022 at

UFC 280 ''UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 22, 2022, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background A UFC Lightweight Champions ...

. However, Mullarkey pulled out in mid-September due to injury, and he was replaced by Yamato Nishikawa. In turn, Nishikawa was forced to withdraw due to contractual issues. The bout was ultimately scrapped from the card. In late October 2022, it was reported that Mustafaev was released by UFC.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial artist

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 ,

, TKO (spinning back kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 , Kevin Lee , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:31 ,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, Northern Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,

, TKO (knees and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Fight Night: Jędrzejczyk vs. Penne , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:24 ,

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , rowspan=2, Sochi Star Club: Sochi Star Tournament 1 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:11 , rowspan=2, Sochi, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Amirkhan Adaev , KO (slam) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Andrei Koshkin , Verbal Submission (heel hook) , M-1 Challenge 46 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:39 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Lom-Ali Nalgiev , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Legion Fight 18 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:45 , Sochi, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Guseyn Omarov , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Legion Fight 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:39 ,

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавка́з, , os, Дзæуджыхъæу, translit=Dzæwdžyqæw, ;), formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () and Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. It is located i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Islam Begidov , KO (punches) , rowspan=2, Legion Fight 15 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 , rowspan=2, Sochi, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Artyom Egorov , Submission (armbar) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Vadim Ogar , Submission (triangle choke) , rowspan=2, Legion Fight 12 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 , rowspan=2, Sochi, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Dmitry Korobeynikov , TKO (punches) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:40 , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Sakhil Askarov , TKO (corner stoppage) , Legion Fight 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:20 , Sochi, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Arsen Ubaidulaev , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Legion Fight 9 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:20 , Sochi, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Marat Medzhidov , TKO (punches) , Legion Fight 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 , Sochi, Russia ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mustafaev, Magomed 1988 births Living people Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing pankration Russian male mixed martial artists People from Dagestan Avar people Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Dagestan