The UFC lightweight division has been taken by storm as featherweight champion Conor McGregor will be moving up to meet 155-pound boss Rafael dos Anjos at March 5’s UFC 197 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Top contenders Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and Eddie Alvarez also just recently did battle in a pivotal fight at last Sunday’s (January
The UFC lightweight division has been taken by storm as featherweight champion Conor McGregor will be moving up to meet 155-pound boss Rafael dos Anjos at March 5’s UFC 197 from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Top contenders Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and Eddie Alvarez also just recently did battle in a pivotal fight at last Sunday’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81.
In the midst of all of this madness, however, we cannot forget about undefeated top contender Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov.
The 22-0 Dagestani-born wrestler has been on the sidelines since April 2014 dealing with numerous injuries, but remains 6-0 inside of the Octagon, and is coming off of a win over dos Anjos.
Aiming to return to action in the coming months, Nurmagomedov recently texted UFC president Dana White, asking for a bout with Alvarez, who edged out a split-decision victory over Pettis last weekend.
Aside from a bout with “The Silent Assassin”, “The Eagle” would also be open to fighting surging No. 5-ranked Tony Ferguson (Via MMAMania):
“Yes, this is true. I watch the fight, Eddie Alvarez vs. Pettis, and I sent a message to (Dana White) that I want to fight this guy because this guy fought two big names, Gilbert Melendez and Pettis. He’s No. 1 contender, very close to me and a contender in lightweight division. I want Alvarez or Tony Ferguson. No problem if UFC gives me Tony or Alvarez because this is two contenders. I am a contender and I want to take one of these guys and after this fight, fight for the belt.”
Arguably already deserving of a title shot, who would you like to see Nurmagomedov square off with upon his hopeful return to the lightweight division?
(No, Khabib, they’re starting to *forget* you. via Instagram)
You know, for a guy who transitioned into MMA from the much heralded bear wrestling circuit, Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t seem to hold up so well against members of his own species.
(No, Khabib, they’re starting to *forget* you. via Instagram)
You know, for a guy who transitioned into MMA from the much heralded bear wrestling circuit, Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t seem to hold up so well against members of his own species.
He may be undefeated in the octagon, but Nurmagomedov has spent the better part of the past year and a half injuring, then nursing, then re-injuring, then re-re-injuring himself and subsequently pulling out of every damn fight he’s been offered as a result. He’s the Russian, lightweight Dominick Cruz, if you will.
In fact, the closest thing Khabib’s even had to a legitimate fight since April of 2014 was that bench-clearing brawl he had with the Diaz brothers at WSOF 22. So it might not shock you to learn that, some six weeks out from his hotly-anticipated return bout against fellow top contender Tony Ferguson scheduled for the TUF 22 Finale, Nurmagomedov has gone down with a rib injury suffered in training. (via MMAFighting):
An injured rib has forced Nurmagomedov out of his highly-anticipated Dec. 11 fight against Tony Ferguson, sources confirmed with MMAFighting.com Thursday night.
This latest injury is particularly disheartening for the undefeated Russian because two serious knee injuries have sidelined him since his win over Rafael dos Anjos in April 2014. Despite his long layoff, the 22-0 lightweight, who by all accounts tried his best to fight through the injury but could not get cleared, is still considered one of the very best 155-pound fighters in the world.
With Nurmy now out, rumor has it the UFC is quickly rescheduling Ferguson against Edson Barboza, who has won three out of his past four fights. My guess is that Joe Silva had him on standby.
The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale took a bit of a ding early Friday morning when MMAFighting.com reported that Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0) was forced out of his bout against Tony Ferguson (19-3).
The lightweight fight had major title implications. Nurmagom…
The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale took a bit of a ding early Friday morning when MMAFighting.com reported that Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0) was forced out of his bout against Tony Ferguson (19-3).
The lightweight fight had major title implications. Nurmagomedov is ranked as the No. 3 contender, and Ferguson comes in at No. 8. Nurmagomedov was knocking on the door to a title shot following a dominant performance over now-UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos in 2014, but injuries have plagued his attempt to capture gold.
An injured rib will sideline Nurmagomedov from a possible title eliminator.
There is no word on how long the injury will keep him on the outside looking in, but after a couple knee surgeries and more than a year away from active competition, this is another crushing blow to the stellar lightweight.
If you are searching for a silver lining, the report claims sources are saying the UFC are tabbing No. 6-ranked contender Edson Barboza (16-3) as Nurmagomedov’s replacement for the event. That potential fight would also have major title implications at 155 pounds.
Barboza is 3-1 in his last four bouts, with the loss coming to Michael Johnson in February. Ferguson, on the other hand, is riding a six-fight win streak into the event.
Champion Rafael dos Anjos defends the title on December 19 in Orlando against No. 2-ranked contender Donald Cerrone. The timing would put the winner of Barboza vs. Ferguson in prime position to announce himself as the next rightful challenger.
The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale will take place on December 11 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Headlining the event is the featherweight title eliminator between Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes.
Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm wasn’t the only big fight announced Friday morning. According to Brian Martin of the Los Angeles Daily News, the December 11 finale of The Ultimate Fighter’s 22nd season will host a critical lightweight bout between Kha…
Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm wasn’t the only big fight announced Friday morning. According to Brian Martin of the Los Angeles Daily News, the December 11 finale of The Ultimate Fighter‘s 22nd season will host a critical lightweight bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
Nurmagomedov broke into relevance at UFC 148, when he handily defeated sturdy veteran Gleison Tibau. He stormed his way into the top 10 in 2013 by thrashing Strikeforce import Pat Healy and seemingly lined himself up for a title shot with a dominant win over Rafael dos Anjos.
Unfortunately, a UFC 178 bout with Donald Cerrone was scrapped after Nurmagomedov suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery. UFC 187 was set to pair the two off again, but Nurmagomedov aggravated the same knee, delaying his return further. While he has been out since April 2014, dos Anjos’ title run has kept Nurmagomedov relevant near the top of the division, and his nonstopsmack talk has kept him in the news and fans’ minds.
Ferguson, however, is not an easy draw for his return bout.
The TUF 13 winner is riding an impressive six-fight winning streak, a run that includes four stoppage victories—including submissions of Abel Trujillo and Gleison Tibau. In his most recent win, he put a thorough beating on former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, which resulted in a 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 decision. He is an all-over-the-cage threat and impossible to brush off against anyone at 155 pounds.
Worth noting: Khabib x Ferguson isn’t the TUF 22 main. Team Khabib didn’t want 5 rounds. Gimme Edgar vs. Stephans as main, night before 194.
It’s worth noting that, according to MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani, the fight will be a three-round affair, and it won’t be the TUF 22 finale’s main event. The show has yet to announce the headliner.
So who do you think will take this one, fight fans?
A stranger in a strange land.
Although it is absolutely cliché to be saying it as an American traveling abroad and landing in the world of Islam, that doesn’t take any truth away from the sentiment. Immediately upon landing in the Kingdom …
A stranger in a strange land.
Although it is absolutely cliché to be saying it as an American traveling abroad and landing in the world of Islam, that doesn’t take any truth away from the sentiment. Immediately upon landing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the reality of the differences between the culture I experience domestically and the one I would be spending the next three days in were stark. A variety of languages and dialects buzzed through my ears and my eyes did their best to decipher the signage.
In those moments, an immediate gratitude for arrows and symbols were felt and a much deeper appreciation for the simple things formed.
After spending 16 hours on multiple flights, I had finally arrived in Bahrain, and long after the taxi had ushered me to my hotel, exchange rates, time-zone jumps and airport Wi-Fi mishaps all cluttered the brain. All I knew going into this trip was that a new MMA team was forming and that Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad was leading the charge to bring the fastest-growing sport in the world to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The only additional information received was that a collection of UFC fighters that included former lightweight champion and current featherweight contender Frankie Edgar and Dagestani smashing machine Khabib Nurmagomedov would also be involved, in addition to SBG Ireland coaching guru John Kavanagh bringing some of his young talent to Bahrain from Dublin to join KHK.
Also let’s not forget about Renzo Gracie simply because there is nothing about Renzo that is even slightly forgettable. As Edgar would say during his stay, “I’ve known Renzo for years and I’m still hearing new stories to this day.”
While those players being present were enough to spark the type of interest it takes to journey halfway around the world, the greater mystery that lingered above the light of the laptop on the first night on the shores of the Persian Gulf was how all of those pieces fit together. In less than 24 hours I would have those answers and get a front-row seat to see how a sport I’d covered for years was taking hold in a place where six months ago a footprint didn’t exist.
****
“It takes less than 40 minutes to travel from bottom to top in Bahrain.”
Those were the words the driver explained to me as we zipped north on the highway heading to the new KHK MMA Team gym. Due to flight delays and a couple swell times in customs, the nationally televised press conference that would be the grand unveiling of KHK was missed by yours truly. I was still able to catch a replay the next morning in my hotel room and can honestly say it was strange, albeit exciting to see MMA on such a platform.
On one side of Sheikh Khalid sat Renzo Gracie, on the other side Frankie Edgar, and they watched as every member of the newly formed squad came up one at a time to receive their official contracts. Granted, pageantry is commonplace where royalty and official kingdom business is concerned—and make no mistake about it, KHK’s growth will involve foreign relations—the point of the press conference was a straightforward announcement.
Watching the teleconference was my initial exposure to KHK, but I would get a much better understanding by seeing the fight team in action during my first full day in Bahrain.
Upon arriving at the training facility, I was greeted by Mohammed “The Hawk” Shahid, who is also the team manager and works hand-in-hand with Shaikh Khalid in how talent is groomed at the grass-roots level in Bahrain. Sheik Kalid and Shahid decided the best method of growing KHK was to do a series of public tryouts, with each drawing thousands of spectators.
“All of those people came to just watch the tryouts,” Shahid told Bleacher Report. “That really showed us how excited people are for MMA here. We know there is a lot of work to be done, but we are committed to building a great team here at KHK.”
The team at KHK is also advised by World Series of Fighting V.P. and MMA staple in the United States Ali Abdel-Aziz. While Abdel-Aziz doesn’t serve an official role in the system, his Middle Eastern roots and friendship with Sheik Khalid has created an avenue for up-and-coming Bahraini talent to gain exposure to some of the premier fighters competing around the globe. Abdel Aziz lends his assistance and knowledge about the sport to advise Sheik Khalid and Shahid on talent and team structure.
“I have accomplished so much in MMA but never contributed anything to the Middle East,” Abdel-Aziz said. “Now I have the opportunity to help a wonderful guy like Prince Khalid. I believe he has the right team in place. Mohammed Shahid is the team manager and he will do a great job for them. He is very passionate. I will help them with anything they want.”
That afternoon at the KHK gym, former UFC and current Titan FC fighter Alex Soto and his squad all hit the training mats for a grappling session. SBG Ireland’s highly touted prospects Frans Mlambo and James Gallagher worked out with a variety of fighters with Kavanagh rolling during the session as well. Midway through the practice, the Dagestani contingent led by Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev joined in. The Russian fighters had logged late hours in the facility the night prior and came back refreshed to hit Saturday’s run full tilt.
As Nurmagomedov walked around the mats offering his assistance and grappling expertise, the thud of Makhachev slamming his shins off of pads during a mitt session thundered through the gym. KHK team member and wrestling coach Eldar Eldarov hit the mats to instruct the fighters on technique, and it wasn’t long before bodies were literally flying through the air at various points of the practice.
Educations in MMA never come easily, and there were no shortage of lessons being handed out at KHK long after the desert sun, or as Kavanagh would later point out,” the last standing bit of mirage of an already downed sun,” disappeared.
An easy-natured vortex of philosophy and ideals, that John Kavanagh. An intriguing man indeed.
And while it was very clear that KHK is in the early stages of its conception, the team’s vision was also clear as well. The goal of the Bahrain-based collective is to build a unit formed of the best domestic talent available, all the while bringing in fighters like Nurmagomedov and Edgar to expose their roster to elite-level talent.
The ultra-talented Dagestan-born fighter has been a nightmare in the ranks of the UFC’s lightweight division since hitting the biggest stage in the sport back in 2012. He is potentially one fight away from a title opportunity, so having Nurmagomedov as a KHK representative will serve to bring spotlight to KHK in addition to the shared knowledge that comes from having the undefeated title contender training with the Bahrain-based squad.
That’s a strong move for a team whose focus is bigger than just building a great fight team in their home country as Shaikh Khalid’s vision is to bring MMA to Bahrain on a much larger scale. And from some of the things I witnessed firsthand, those efforts certainly appear to be working.
“I received a message from Mohammed Shahid telling me that Sheik Khalid was very interested in my joining the team,” Nurmagomedov said. “It is great for me, my family and teammates, and I will do everything I can to make our team at KHK one of the best in the world. Sheik Khalid has done a great job with giving his attention and creating a great opportunity for the fighters on this team. He wants to make his team in Bahrain one of the best in the world, and I believe we can make that happen.
“There is a lot of work to be done, but everyone in the gym is committed to working hard,” he added. “Joining KHK is great for me, my family and teammates. And it is great for MMA in Dagestan. I went to the U.S. to make my name in MMA and now we are doing our part to help share the sport around the world. We are focused on growing a great team in Bahrain and I believe that will happen.”
***
Although it would be impossible for a man of his stature to escape the essence that comes with royalty, Shaikh Khalid’s drive and focus in regard to KHK and MMA in general was absolutely noticeable. Not only did he attend the training session at KHK, but also participated in the practice as well. There is nothing soft about what goes into putting the human body through a grappling session and to watch a member of a royal family work past a closed guard was a sight to behold. Khalid’s tenacity and athleticism was impressive to say the least as the Sheikh rolled with a multitude of partners during the session.
As the training was drawing to a close, Mlambo squared off in a sparring session with one of his fellow amateurs while Khalid sat at the edge of the mat paying keen attention to the slick footwork involved in the Black Mamba’s striking attack. After several rounds and many straight right-hand counters and power slams were exchanged, the practice came to a conclusion and fighters and coaches floated around to assess the session with the KHK squad members because that is the culture that is being built at KHK.
Rather than scoop up a bunch of notable and experienced names to wear the logo and represent their fight team, the core group at KHK is focused on building things up from the ground level. They started with the formation of an amateur team, and now they are at a point where they are getting ready to shift that focus on the professional ranks. They aren’t just looking at the bigger picture the squad at KHK is willing to do the work it takes to establish themselves and Bahraini MMA as a fixture on the global scene.
It is going to take a lot of work to accomplish their goals, but the drive and the moxie to make that happen seems to be in large supply around KHK. Outside of the established names on the team’s roster, the rest of the collective talent is still in raw form, but that was the intention of the men behind the construction of KHK. They want to plant the seeds of a fight culture in Bahrain, and from what I saw over a several-day span on the island nation, that is currently underway.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
To say Khabib Nurmagomedov is eager to return to his hunt for the UFC lightweight title is an understatement of drastic proportions.
The Eagle is flat-out fired up to get back into the Octagon, and his excitement increases daily as the date and opponen…
To say KhabibNurmagomedov is eager to return to his hunt for the UFC lightweight title is an understatement of drastic proportions.
The Eagle is flat-out fired up to get back into the Octagon, and his excitement increases daily as the date and opponent for his return will soon be settled.
While there is yet to be a dance partner named for Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Dagestan-born phenom already has the ideal opponent in mind. The 26-year-old grappling ace wants to step in against recently dethroned former champion Anthony Pettis in a fight he believes every fight fan wants to see become a reality.
In addition to Nurmagomedov thinking Showtime would be the perfect opponent for his return bout, he also knows the date and event the bout should be slated on.
The UFC is set to return to Orlando, Florida, for UFC on Fox 17 on Dec. 19, and with the main event bout set to feature a 155-pound title clash between Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone, the Russian upstart is adamant that a bout with Pettis would not only make the card a perfect lightweight showcase, but his tilt with the Roufusport standout would steal the show.
“Anthony Pettis and I did have a conversation and we both want the fight,” Nurmagomedov told Bleacher Report. “I gave [an] interview before and [said] we [met] in a bus, and we did, but I don’t think it came out right. All the fighters there were going to a meeting and we all got on the bus to go there. Pettis and I sat down together and I asked him when he was going to come back. He told me the end of the year. I told him I could come back in October or November, but if the UFC [says], ‘You come back in December and fight Anthony Pettis,’ I can wait.
“I think everyone will agree with me that a fight between Pettis and I would be the biggest fight in the lightweight division right now. This fight would be bigger than Cowboy vs. RDA because RDA [smashed] him before. If the UFC put me and Pettis in the co-main event in Orlando in December, I believe that would be the real main event fight for the fans. I don’t know what the UFC plans to do, but this is what I think the fans want.”
While Nurmagomedov has been sidelined with a series of injuries that forced him to withdraw from his highly anticipated bout against Donald Cerrone at UFC 187, the surging lightweight talent has remained active in his recovery.
Nurmagomedov has been diligent in his efforts to rehabilitate his knee while taking great care not to push his body too far. His ultimate goal is to get his hands on the 155-pound crown, but he is well aware of how injury has hampered his ability to do so.
Even though certain elements in the upper tier of the division have changed in his absence, Nurmagomedov believes he’s never been off of the radar with fight fans who support his push for a title shot.
Since his official UFC debut back in 2012, Nurmagomedov‘s support from the passionate fighting faithful has grown with each of his six showings inside the Octagon, and he’s confident he will give the MMA community even more to get behind when his return to action comes to fruition.
“I think I have a lot of fans because I am a real fighter,” Nurmagomedov said. “I am no fake. I’m an interesting fighter who came from Russia to compete in the U.S. and have smashed a lot of top guys. In my last UFC fight, I beat the guy who is now the lightweight champion. We will see what happens, but I think I will come back with a strong performance to end this year and next year I [will] take [the] belt.
“I was in the best shape of my life for my last fight with RDA, but after that fight, I got hurt and had two surgeries in a row back-to-back. I haven’t fought in a year-and-a-half and have been in recovery. During that time, RDA kept going and he beat a lot of top guys. I think he’s a different fighter now and I think a rematch between us would be a tougher fight, but I believe in myself to get the victory. I believe in my wrestling and pressure. I believe I can beat anyone in this division.
“I’m young, I’m strong and now I have good experience,” he added. “I smashed RDA and he has smashed all the top guys in the division. I’m very exciting in combat. I’m going to be very exciting when I come back and I’m going to come back stronger than before.”
While the Dagestani smashing machine has set his sights on a bout with Pettis, there is one fighter in particular he’d love to get his hands on in Nate Diaz.
The younger half of Stockton, California’s brotherly duo and Nurmagomedov have quarreled for more than a year across social media platforms, and that beef recently came live and in living color at a recent World Series of Fighting event.
The two fighters crossed paths, and words and hands were exchanged in what broke out into a full-blown brawl that was caught on cameras and uploaded to YouTube. The Diaz brothers were banned from attending future WSOF events and Nate took to Twitter to antagonize Nurmagomedov further in the aftermath.
While he knows a bout with Diaz wouldn’t do much for his push toward the lightweight title, Nurmagomedov wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to get the former title challenger into the Octagon.
“If the UFC gives me that fight, I’m happy to do it because I want to smash this guy,” Nurmagomedov said. “I want to take him down, smash his face with hard elbows and knock him out. I have to teach this guy respect. He started a fight with me at [WSOF] and there were a lot of women and children in the crowd. We are professional fighters and we are supposed to stay professional. I know sometimes you get emotional, but you have to stay professional.
“If someone wants to punch you and wants to smash you, then you have to protect yourself and that’s why I [fought] with him at [the] show. In the arena, I told myself to stay calm and not to fight. I kept calm and professional, but the second time he started a fight, I went crazy too. It was me and my team and him and his, but after his team started running, a lot of police came. I didn’t start the fight. He started it, but I have to protect myself.
“I’m a professional fighter,” he added. “I’m a UFC fighter and I can kill someone in the street. I could do it easily if I had to, but we are supposed to be professional. The skills we know aren’t supposed to be used that way and that’s why we have to always be professional because this is very dangerous. If the UFC gives me the chance to fight him inside the Octagon, I will do it because he needs to be taught a lesson.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale took a bit of a ding early Friday morning when