How Is Umar Nurmagomedov Related to Khabib and Abdulmanap? Are the Two Fighters Brothers?

Umar Nurmagomedov is set to return to the bantamweight division and continue his climb towards the UFC title. The Dagestani fighter had been sidelined from competition due to a shoulder injury he suffered in 2023, which led to his fight against Cory Sandhagen being canceled. He is now scheduled to face Bekzat Almakhan on March 2, a young prospect from Kazakhstan, a newcomer to the promotion.

His return fight was also hard to set up for the promotion as according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz, “I never seen ufc working hard to find somebody to fight.” And so ahead of his clash with Almakhan in Las Vegas, let’s explore all we know about Umar Nurmagomedov’s relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov and his place in the Eagle’s family.  

Umar Nurmagomedov is Khabib’s younger cousin

Umar Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in 2021 in a fight against Sergey Morozov, where he secured a win with a rear-naked choke in the second round. He has previously fought in promotions like Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and the Professional Fighters League or PFL.

Umar is the older brother of another MMA fighter from Dagestan and a competitor in Bellator, Usman Nurmagomedov. He is the younger cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion, also known as ‘The Eagle’. The relationship between the families is evident in Umar’s nickname, ‘The Young Eagle’, a reference to his elder cousin’s moniker.

His last fight against Raoni Barcelos in 2023 saw Umar secure a dominant finish in the very first round which also led to him securing the coveted, ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus for his showing.

Despite only having 4 fights in the UFC under his belt, he is known by the fans for his impressive skills inside the Octagon. And many experts have even indicated that he may be the next in line to claim the top spot in the UFC’s bantamweight division. As he prepares to step back into the Octagon, all eyes will be on Umar Nurmagomedov as he continues his journey toward UFC gold.

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But ahead of his return, he has put the UFC on notice for what he believes are the wrong rankings in the bantamweight division!

The ‘Young Eagle’ isn’t pleased with his UFC ranking  

UFC’s bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov isn’t pleased with his current ranking. Despite being a relative of Khabib Nurmagomedov, injuries and fight challenges have hindered his climb up the division’s ladder.

As such, in a recent interview with UFC.com, the ‘Young Eagle’ expressed his hopes of moving up in the rankings after his upcoming fight. He stated, “I hope UFC is gonna put me like, number eight or seven. All these guys who are in this position, they are old guys who didn’t win their last couple fights. They don’t deserve to stay.”

He believes that fighters like Rob Font, who have lost consecutive bouts, should be ranked lower than him in the division. And with his return to the Octagon now getting closer, it remains to be seen if the UFC will indeed comply with his demands for a higher ranking in the division.

What do you make of Umar Nurmagomedov’s claims about UFC veterans retaining their rank despite losing fights? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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