Khabib Nurmagomedov, One of the best fighters in the history of UFC, is not only a fierce grappler but a role model. From his victories inside the octagon to his lifestyle outside it, Khabib has developed and grown into a man larger than the sport. Many of his fans know his life story and success in MMA. But there are still several strange facts and things about him that you have probably never heard of, so today in this article we will tell you about some of those facts.
#8 Khabib is Multilingual
Khabib can speak six different languages. This is one of the reasons he gets so much media attention and has fans all over the world. It all becomes easier when you can reach people using their languages. The six languages he can speak are: Avar (his native), Russian, Kumyk, Turkish, English and Arabic. Many eastern fighters in the UFC do not receive enough media attention because they can’t speak English.
#7 A big Football Fan
Khabib is a big fan of football and is always very open about it in his interviews and posts on social media. He used to play football while growing up before suffering a knee injury. In 2021, he also received a pro-contract offer from FC “Kazan”. Khabib is a big fan of Real Madrid and he is often seen wearing their jersey and sharing posts about the franchise. His favorite football player is Cristiano Ronaldo and he is even good friends with him.
#6 He has competed in four different martial arts
Khabib has fought in four different martial arts in his career. This is strange, as most UFC fighters specialize in only one fighting style. But Khabib has been cross-training between multiple arts since a very young age. Some of his biggest victories are: Russian National Champion and two-time World Combat Sambo champion, European “Pankration” champion, and two-time NAGA World Champion.
#5 Khabib is not completely undefeated in MMA
Khabib has fought in various martial arts and fans think that he has a perfect record in every competition in which he participated. But the fact is that when Khabib was around 13 or 14 years old, he had difficulty winning any major awards during his career. He often got fifth or sixth place during competitions across the country. The main reason behind this was that Khabib was engaged in many sports like judo, wrestling and sambo. When he and his father began to work harder and not participate in so many competitions, this proved to be the right decision, as Khabib became the World Champion in both Sambo and MMA.
#4 He just lost a single round in UFC
Until the fight against McGregor, Khabib had not lost a single round in 10 UFC bouts. In fact, he didn’t lose while fighting in other promotions as well. This shows how extraordinary and fantastic Khabib is, and is viewed as the best of all time. Khabib could have easily won the third round he lost to McGregor. In the first two, he was leading and smashing the Irish with his brilliant techniques. But for some reason, Khabib decided to attack McGregor and not pursue the fight on the ground. He probably wanted to prove that he is also better at striking, but lost the first ever round in the UFC.
#3 He has a degree in finance
Khabib graduated from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and has a degree in finance. He used to study hard while fighting at a high level at the same time. After retiring from MMA, Khabib said he wanted to focus more on his studies and pursue a degree in finance. He even said that he wished to participate in a master’s program later.
#2 First Muslim to win a UFC title
Khabib created history at UFC 223 by becoming the first Muslim to win a UFC title. He did so by defeating Al Iaquinta at the stacked Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Initially, the UFC had set Tony Ferguson and Khabib to headline the main event of UFC 223. But it all got canceled when Ferguson suffered a knee injury. The UFC immediately replaced Ferguson with Max Holloway, who took the fight on six-day notice. But again, this fight was canceled as well because the NYSAC commission ruled Holloway out of the contest due to excessive weight loss. And less than 24 hours before the fight, Al Iaquinta jumped in to save the event.
#1 He nearly died because from cutting weight
Before his scheduled bout with Tony Ferguson at UFC 209, Khabib almost died due to cutting too much weight. In his MMA career, Khabib always struggled to reach the scale at 155 pounds and often looked like a zombie while trying to make the weight. His struggles were more evident than when he was hospitalized before UFC 209. His lack of weight almost killed him. He did not show up to the initial weigh-in and after some time, it was reported that Khabib had to be taken to the hospital due to severe stomach pain. Later, it was discovered that if he continued this process, his liver would stop working.
Also Read:- 10 Lesser Known Things about UFC Star Conor McGregor
