Whenever we hear about a Russian fighter in the UFC, our brain automatically relates them to Khabib Nurmagomedov. This comparison is quite natural owing to the legendary status ‘The Eagle’ holds in the promotion with native Russians holding high expectations from their fellow fighters in the MMA juggernaut. So when we hear the name Abus Magomedov, it is innate that the first question that UFC fans would have is whether he’s related to the Dagestani or not.

The middleweight has an MMA record of 26-6-1, including 14 knockouts and six submission victories. He’s coming back at UFC 308 but before we get into that, let’s see if he’s related to the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Is Abus Magomedov from Dagestan? His connection with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Abusupiyan Magomedov was born on September 2, 1990 in Dagestan, Russia. However, the UFC middleweight now trains in Dusseldorf, Germany, and represents the latter nation. He debuted in the UFC in 2021 and since then has been climbing the ladder to go to the top.

Magomedov involved himself in wrestling from a very young age and at the tender age of 15, he had to leave his country and immigrate to Germany owing to his mother’s illness. This is where he learned kickboxing and started his professional MMA career and has been training at UFD Gym as of May 2024.

Magomedov is definitely proving his worth, especially by fighting stars like Sean Strickland, whom he fought at UFC Vegas 76 in 2023. Even though he lost the bout, according to Strickland’s account in the JRE, the Russian-born German fighter managed to hurt Strickland pretty badly. As for his relations with Khabib, it seems like they are not related but know each other because the duo had an Instagram interaction where Magomedov posted  “#TeamKhabib” where ‘The Eagle’ replied, “It was nice to meet you, brother”.

Their shared nationality and mutual respect may contribute to their friendly relationship, often expressed as ‘brothers’ in captions. 

More about Abus Magomedov’s personal life

Abus Magomedov’s path to the world’s biggest MMA promotion hasn’t been an easy feat. As we have uncovered his tough upbringing including his mother’s illness and relocating to Germany for treatment. Despite these hardships, the Russian middleweight has remained undeterred and is determined to pursue his fighting dreams.

Magomedov revealed that joining the UFC was a lifelong dream, inspired by his father. He described fighting and training as his passion and profession. Now he’s going to climb another step toward his dream by fighting against Bruno Ferreira at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Do you think he will be able to bag another win this time? Tell us in the comments below.