Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Who Makes the Most Sense for His Return to Action?

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.
Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging t…

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.

Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging toward the top of the lightweight division.

Even though he’s still months away from returning to the Octagon, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a number of opponents waiting to welcome him back. However, one of the most interesting options isn’t on the UFC’s roster at this time.

That man is current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

Since joining the UFC back in 2012, “The Eagle” has run his undefeated streak to 22 victories. The Russian native has propelled himself to a point where he is one of the premier fighters at 155 pounds, and he’s currently the No. 3-ranked lightweight in the promotion behind Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, per UFC.com.

In order to obtain the title shot that has eluded him to this point, Nurmagomedov should be placed against Alvarez, as it would be a challenging bout for both of them.

Alvarez is still under contract with Bellator, but that did not stop the UFC from attempting to bring him over to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 178, per Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog. That fight would eventually fall apart, as Cerrone is now scheduled to face Bobby Green. However, that doesn’t mean the UFC should end their pursuit of Alvarez.

Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie reported that at the time of Nurmagomedov‘s injury in July he would be out of action for at least six months. During this period the UFC could work on their negotiations with Bellator to reach an agreement to bring over their lightweight champion. The companies would have their work cut out for them, but earlier efforts show that they are willing to negotiate.

Scott Coker recently addressed the situation with Alvarez’s contract with Bellator. “Right now, where it’s at today is Eddie’s still a fighter under contract with Bellator.” Scott Coker told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I know that lawyers are involved, and that’s something that happened way before I came to this company. Right now, I don’t have an update for you on that.”

Alvarez would present an interesting challenge for Nurmagomedov if they were to actually meet in the Octagon. To this point, Nurmagomedov has been able to overwhelm his opponents within the UFC with effective grappling.

Alvarez uses an aggressive style of a different nature, where he stays on his opponents, looking to land boxing combinations and use his wrestling when possible. Nurmagomedov has yet to face an opponent in the UFC who uses such a style, so a fight against Alvarez would be a clear change of pace for him.

From a business perspective, this fight makes sense for the organization as well. Alvarez has never shied away from promoting himself or the fights that he’s involved in. He would have the ability to carry much of the needed media work for a fight against Nurmagomedov.

A win for either fighter would create enough credibility for them to be considered a No. 1 contender to fight the winner of the upcoming Anthony Pettis–Gilbert Melendez fight with the title. If the UFC were able to set this match up it would work as a co-main event for a pay-per-view card in 2015.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was very near to earning a shot at the UFC lightweight title before suffering a knee injury last month. As the promotion awaits his return, they can use this time to sign Eddie Alvarez and create the best fight possible to welcome Alvarez to the UFC and Nurmagomedov back from the injured list all at once.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov and 4 Injured Fighters Who Will Make Impact Upon Return

Mixed martial arts is one of the most grueling sports in the world. 
At its worst, it forces the best fighters on the planet to train for a potentially unpredictable 25-minute war. Planning against both a fighter and the unknown, competitors …

Mixed martial arts is one of the most grueling sports in the world. 

At its worst, it forces the best fighters on the planet to train for a potentially unpredictable 25-minute war. Planning against both a fighter and the unknown, competitors must push themselves beyond the cusp of comfort in all aspects of the game.

Wrestlers must learn to strike. Strikers must learn to wrestle.

Accomplishing such tough tasks won’t come without peril—injuries plague this sport far too often. However, for every unfortunate injury any fighter faces in their professional career lies a proverbial silver lining.

The comeback. 

Keep reading to see which injured fighters are poised to make immediate impacts upon their return to the cage. Don’t expect Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, Dominick Cruz or Cat Zingano to make this list—only fighters who are still on the mend without a scheduled fight on their horizon will be considered. 

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Khabib Nurmagomedov: Alcohol and Women ‘Spoil’ Fighters and Make Them ‘Weak’

UFC lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov has an old-school approach when it comes to fighting: Alcohol and women are a no-no if you want to be the best in the world.
Speaking with Russian media outlet ProSports.ru, (translated by MixedMartial…

UFC lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov has an old-school approach when it comes to fighting: Alcohol and women are a no-no if you want to be the best in the world.

Speaking with Russian media outlet ProSports.ru, (translated by MixedMartialArts.com), “The Eagle” explained why he has sworn off grabbing a drink or having an impromptu date with a female fan on the weekends. 

There are fighters in America who can drink on Friday and Saturday. After an event I saw it myself in the hotel – 80% of them are already drunk. Not the champs but middle-of-the-pack guys, guys like one win, two losses. A couple of times they called me with them to the club. I told them I’m a Muslim. And they were like ‘Come on, we know two Muslims and they visit the clubs with us all the time!’ … Alcohol and girls stand in a way of an athlete, they spoil him and make him weak.

While some may say that the 25-year-old’s point of view is outdated, it’s flat-out impossible to argue with the results. 

Nurmagomedov, the No. 3 lightweight in the world, according to the UFC’s official rankings, is 22-0 as a professional mixed martial artist—including a 6-0 run inside the Octagon. 

Many agree that his recent convincing win over perennial contender Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 11 in April proved he’s ready for the big time. 

The American Kickboxing Academy standout was briefly linked to what would’ve likely been a title eliminator bout with WEC import Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 178 but had to withdraw almost immediately due to a knee injury, per MMA Fighting. 

His co-manager, Mike Constantino, later confirmed that Nurmagomedov tore his right meniscus and would therefore be on the sidelines for at least six months, per MMA Junkie. 

Up to this point, Nurmagomedov is yet to meet an opponent who has an answer for his takedowns and smothering top game. Plus, his striking chops continue to improve. 

Should other fighters start following Nurmagomedov‘s lead and leave the partying lifestyle behind completely, or is this training theory simply not necessary in this day and age?

 

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.

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Update: Khabib Nurmagomedov Out Until January 2015 With Torn Meniscus


(Khabib Nurmagomedov and Rustam Khabilov — just a couple of legitimate businessmen. / Photo via TitoCouture.)

We wanted to pass along a quick update on Khabib Nurmagomedov, who made history on Friday by pulling out of a fight against Donald Cerrone just 20 minutes after he agreed to it. (Beat that, Lil’ Nog!) According to Nurmagomedov’s manager Mike Constantino, the undefeated lightweight suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, which will require surgery. He is expected to be out of action until January.

And so, Nurmy officially goes 1-0 in 2014, with his sole Octagon appearance resulting in a decision win against Rafael dos Anjos in April. With the lightweight division so crowded with contenders, a long layoff means that Nurmagomedov will have his work cut out for him when he returns, in terms of climbing back up the contender ladder. As for Cerrone, his next fight is once again TBA. Got any suggestions?


(Khabib Nurmagomedov and Rustam Khabilov — just a couple of legitimate businessmen. / Photo via TitoCouture.)

We wanted to pass along a quick update on Khabib Nurmagomedov, who made history on Friday by pulling out of a fight against Donald Cerrone just 20 minutes after he agreed to it. (Beat that, Lil’ Nog!) According to Nurmagomedov’s manager Mike Constantino, the undefeated lightweight suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, which will require surgery. He is expected to be out of action until January.

And so, Nurmy officially goes 1-0 in 2014, with his sole Octagon appearance resulting in a decision win against Rafael dos Anjos in April. With the lightweight division so crowded with contenders, a long layoff means that Nurmagomedov will have his work cut out for him when he returns, in terms of climbing back up the contender ladder. As for Cerrone, his next fight is once again TBA. Got any suggestions?

UFC Lightweight Contender Khabib Nurmagomedov Set for Surgery for Torn Meniscus

“The Eagle” will be grounded for the remainder of 2014.
That’s the news coming from Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, who reports that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be out until January due to undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus.
Nurmagomedov and Do…

“The Eagle” will be grounded for the remainder of 2014.

That’s the news coming from Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, who reports that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be out until January due to undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus.

Nurmagomedov and Donald Cerrone had agreements in place to face one another at UFC 178, but that’s obviously off the table now.

“That fight is made — it’s done,” UFC president Dana White said, per Helwani. “Twenty minutes later, [Nurmagomedov] went into the gym and blew his knee out. Twenty. F—ing. Minutes. Later.”

Nurmagomedov had surged up the lightweight rankings after running his professional record to 22-0, including a 6-0 run inside the Octagon. In his last outing, Nurmagomedov picked up the biggest win of his career with an unanimous-decision victory against Rafael dos Anjos back in April.

For Cerrone, it’s a huge damper on his plans to fight six times in 2014. The popular fighter has fought three times in the first half of 2014, picking up KO wins over Adriano Martins and Jim Miller along with a submission victory against Edson Barboza.

I’m sure the UFC will work to get Cerrone an opponent in quick fashion, as he’s quickly become a favorite of White’s for his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere.

Outside of fans missing out on what was sure to be an awesome fight, the injury to Nurmagomedov adds another speed bump in getting to the top of the lightweight division moving.

Anthony Pettis has been out since winning the title in August of last year and won’t compete again until December. TJ Grant has been sidelined for what seems like an eternity with issues stemming from a concussion. Benson Henderson continues to chug along, taking fight after fight, but it may be in vain if Pettis can retain his title since Henderson has lost to Pettis on two separate occasions.

The Pettis injury, combined with he and Gilbert Melendez coaching on The Ultimate Fighter: 20, has created a bit of a logjam for contenders in the lightweight division. Now we can add Nurmagomedov‘s injury to the list of reasons why the division is at a standstill.

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Donald Cerrone vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Booked for UFC 178, Immediately Canceled

Donald Cerrone helped even the most cynical fans rekindle their love of MMA with his tantalizing fight with Jim Miller on Wednesday, and the future seemed even brighter when rumors swirled that he was set to face Dagestani sensation Khabib Nurmago…

Donald Cerrone helped even the most cynical fans rekindle their love of MMA with his tantalizing fight with Jim Miller on Wednesday, and the future seemed even brighter when rumors swirled that he was set to face Dagestani sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

When news broke that Cerrone vs. Nurmagomedov was booked for UFC 178, there was much rejoicing. When UFC President Dana White discussed how the operative word in that sentence is “was,” however, there was much melancholy. 

According to White (h/t Chuck Mindenhall from MMAFighting.com), Nurmagomedov and Cerrone signed the contract, only for Nurmagomedov to suffer a serious injury just minutes later. “It was done. The bout agreements, done. Email went out last night from Joe Silva saying that this fight is done, both contracts were signed,” he said. “Boom, 20 minutes later, you’re not going to f—ing believe this, the fight is off.”

Cerrone and Nurmagomedov represent two of the hottest names in the lightweight division right now.

Cerrone, a top fighter in the WEC who has cemented himself as one of the best 155-pounders in the world in the years since, is on an impressive four-fight win streak. After dropping a troubling decision loss to Rafael dos Anjos in August 2013, Cerrone bounced back with an impressive submission win over Evan Dunham. From there he racked up three more stoppage victories over Adriano Martins, Edson Barboza and, most recently, Miller.

Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, has made waves with his ability to demolish solid lightweights. He made his UFC debut by submitting Kamal Shalorus and has since put up dominant wins over Gleison Tibau, Thiago Tavares, Abel Trujillo, Pat Healy and Rafael dos Anjos. He finds himself out indefinitely now, however, which puts his electrifying career on an awkward hold that could last for a full year.

The lone bright spot is that UFC 178 remains stacked. The card is headlined by the long-anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson and backed up by the returns of former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (opposite Takeya Mizugaki) and women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano (opposite Amanda Nunes). Add in a big middleweight tilt between Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero and a battle between welterweight strikers Patrick Cote and Stephen Thompson, and UFC 178 boasts an incredibly strong card on September 27.

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