Usman Nurmagomedov (born April 17, 1998), 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, incorp ...
currently competing 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 boxe ...
division of
Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...
, where he is the current
Bellator Lightweight World Champion. He has previously competed in the
UAE Warriors
UAE Warriors is a mixed martial arts league and martial arts promotion in the Middle East based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Established in 2012, UAE Warriors has to date held 34 events across five nations.
See also
*Ultimate Fighting C ...
and
Eagle Fighting Championship
Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC), commonly referred to as Eagle FC, is a Russian mixed martial arts promoter (entertainment), promotion company established in 2020 by former UFC Lightweight Championship, UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagome ...
(then Gorilla Fighting Championship). He is the younger brother of
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 ...
fighter
Umar Nurmagomedov
Umar Nurmagomedov (born March 1, 1996), is a Russian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has previously competed in the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and Profe ...
and a cousin of former
UFC Lightweight Champion
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
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 ...
. As of December 13, 2022, he is #7 in the
Bellator men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Background
Usman Nurmagomedov was born on April 17, 1998, in the city of
Kizilyurt
Kizilyurt (russian: Кизилю́рт; av, Гъизилюрт; kum, Къызыл-юрт, ''Qızıl-yurt'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, about northwest of Makhachkala. Population: . It ...
,
Republic of Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia sit ...
.
As a child, living in his native village, with his brother
Umar Nurmagomedov
Umar Nurmagomedov (born March 1, 1996), is a Russian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has previously competed in the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and Profe ...
, he began to attend freestyle wrestling practice at the age of eight. Once his brother Umar began to practice
Thai boxing
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
, Usman followed suit.
After moving to
Makhachkala
Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...
, Usman began training with his uncle,
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov at the Eagles MMA camp. There he gained sambo skills and trained alongside teammates such as his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and
Islam Makhachev
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (russian: Исла́м Рамаза́нович Маха́чев; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former Sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in ...
. He is of
Avar ethnic origin.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Nurmagomedov's professional MMA career began on March 26, 2017 in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
at the Moscow
Pankration
Pankration (; el, παγκράτιον) was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC, which was an empty-hand submission sport with few rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as ...
Federation promotion tournament. His opponent was Imran Abdiev. Usman won his first professional fight via armbar in the first round.
Nurmagomedov would continue fighting in various organizations such as the GFC and UAE Warriors, winning his next 10 fights. All but one of these fights were won by a knockout or submission. After winning his 11th professional fight in the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament, Usman signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator. Per
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's
Ariel Helwani
Ariel Helwani (born July 8, 1982) is a Canadian-American sports journalist, known for his coverage of mixed martial arts (MMA). He is best known for his work at ''MMA Fighting'', but has also worked for Fox and ESPN. Helwani is widely considered ...
, he is considered to be a "major prospect" in the sport.
Bellator MMA
In his stateside and Bellator debut on April 2, 2021 at
Bellator 255
Bellator 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 2, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was Bellator's first of the year following a four-month brea ...
, Nurmagomedov fought Mike Hamel. Primarily utilizing his significant reach advantage, Usman focused on throwing kicks and not letting Hamel get into range. At times when Hamel did close the distance, Nurmagomedov took the fight to the ground. He won the fight via Unanimous Decision.
In his second fight for Bellator on July 31, 2021 at
Bellator 263
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 31, 2021, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The event marked Bellator's first outside of the Mohegan Sun bubble and the first B ...
, Nurmagomedov faced Luis "Manny" Muro. After landing a successful knee that caused Muro to fall to the floor, Nurmagomedov followed through with
hammerfists causing the referee to stop the fight in round 1.
Usman's next fight was at
Bellator 269 on October 23, 2021 where he faced Patrik Pietilä at a
catchweight
A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...
bout at 160 lbs. After utilizing his kicks from a distance, Nurmagomedov took the fight to the ground once Pietila closed the distance. Taking his back, Nurmagomedov locked in a rear-Naked choke, and won the fight by submission in the first round.
Nurmagomedov then faced
Chris Gonzalez
Matthew Christopher Gonzalez (born July 29, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist and former Greco–Roman wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division of Bellator MMA. As a wrestler, Gonzalez won the 2016 senior Greco-Rom ...
on July 22, 2022 at
Bellator 283
''Bellator 283: Lima vs. Jackson'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 22, 2022 at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel in Tacoma, Washington, United States.
Background
Visiting the state of Washington fo ...
. After tripping Gonzalez, Usman locked in a guillotine choke and got the tap. He won the fight via Submission in the first round.
Usman faced
Patricky Pitbull
Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally by his ring name Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Lightweight division, where he is a former Bellator Lightweight World Champio ...
for the
Bellator Lightweight World Championship
Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class.
At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...
at
Bellator 288
''Bellator 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on November 18, 2022, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Background
The event was headlined by a rematch in ...
on November 18, 2022. He defeated him in dominant fashion, winning the belt and the bout via unanimous decision.
Championships and awards
*
Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...
**
Bellator Lightweight World Championship
Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class.
At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...
(One time; current)
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–0
,
Patricky Pitbull
Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally by his ring name Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Lightweight division, where he is a former Bellator Lightweight World Champio ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 288
''Bellator 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on November 18, 2022, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Background
The event was headlined by a rematch in ...
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–0
,
Chris Gonzalez
Matthew Christopher Gonzalez (born July 29, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist and former Greco–Roman wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division of Bellator MMA. As a wrestler, Gonzalez won the 2016 senior Greco-Rom ...
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
Bellator 283
''Bellator 283: Lima vs. Jackson'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 22, 2022 at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel in Tacoma, Washington, United States.
Background
Visiting the state of Washington fo ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:54
,
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–0
, Patrik Pietilä
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
,
Bellator 269
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:06
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–0
, Manny Muro
, TKO (knee to the body)
,
Bellator 263
Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 31, 2021, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The event marked Bellator's first outside of the Mohegan Sun bubble and the first B ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:30
,
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–0
, Mike Hamel
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 255
Bellator 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 2, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was Bellator's first of the year following a four-month brea ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–0
, Svyatoslav Shabanov
, TKO (punches)
,
FNG / GFC: Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:37
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–0
, Jerry Kvarnstrom
, TKO (punches and elbows)
, UAE Warriors 12
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:39
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–0
, Ruslan Tuyakov
, TKO (knees)
, Gorilla Fighting 24
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:03
,
Saratov
Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–0
, Roman Golovinov
, TKO (punches)
, UAE Warriors 9
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:45
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0
, Kazim Zhakhangirov
, Submission (guillotine choke)
, Gorilla Fighting 17
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:10
,
Atyrau
Atyrau ( kk, Атырау, ', ; russian: Атырау, ), known until 1991 as Guryev (russian: Гурьев, ), is a city in Kazakhstan and the capital of Atyrau Region. Atyrau is a transcontinental city, at the mouth of the Ural River on the Cas ...
, Kazakhstan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, Ruslan Hisamutdinov
, Decision (unanimous)
, Gorilla Fighting 15
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Penza
Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-l ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Gabriel Barbosa
, TKO (punches)
, Gorilla Fighting 11
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:14
,
Penza
Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-l ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Romeo Njia
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Battle on Volga 9
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:48
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Issei Moriyama
, TKO (punches)
, Brave CF 21
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, N/A
,
Jeddah
Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
, Saudi Arabia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Dmitriy Berestovskiy
, (doctor stoppage)
, Battle on Volga 8
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 5:00
,
Samara
Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
, Russia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Imran Abdiev
, Submission (armbar)
, MPF: Young Talents Cup 2017
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:51
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
,
See also
*
List of current Bellator fighters
List of current Bellator MMA fighters records current Bellator MMA (Bellator) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. Unlike the UFC, Bellator do ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC)
* Daichi Abe - (UFC, Pancrase)
* Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride)
* Papy Ab ...
*
List of undefeated mixed martial artists
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nurmagomedov, Usman
1998 births
Nurmagomedov family
Dagestani mixed martial artists
Lightweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo
Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai
Bellator male fighters
Living people
People from Kizilyurt
Russian male mixed martial artists
Russian Muay Thai practitioners
Russian sambo practitioners