Getty Khabib Nurmagomedov chases down Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
The UFC has signed to the promotion the cousin of UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Originally reported by MMA Junkie, Umar Nurmagomedov is officially a UFC fighter.
Hailing from Dagestan, Russia, Nurmagomedov has an undefeated professional record of 12-0. He has one win by TKO, five victories by submission and six by decision. His last win was in November 2019 when he submitted Brian Gonzalez in the first round during Gorilla Fighting 20.
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The Signing Was Officially Announced on Social Media
The official UFC Russia Instagram page announced the news on Thursday:
Translating from Russian to English, the Instagram post says, “OFFICIALLY! Umar Nurmagomedov joined the ranks of the UFC. His debut will take place on April 19 at UFC249. Who would you like to see as your first rival [Umar Nurmagomedov]?”
UFC 249 takes place at the Barclay’s Center in New York, and the card is headlined by his cousin Khabib who is defending his lightweight title against Tony Ferguson. Umar’s opponent has not been named, and it is unclear if they will fight at bantamweight or another weight class.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Posted on Instagram in January About Umar
On January 31, Khabib Nurmagomedov posted a picture on Instagram of the two standing with a horse.
In the post Khabib hinted at Umar’s potential signing with the promotion. At the start of the post, he talks about not having many people believe in him when he began fighting in the promotion. But he always had support from the people close to him, including his family. He finished the post by saying to Umar, “act and prove that your place is among the best athletes in the world.”
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