“Khabib Was Paving the Way Back in the Dark” – Sharaputdin Credits Khabib Nurmagomedov for Trailblazing His Way in America

Sharaputdin Magomedov is a new name in the UFC sphere and the middleweight division but is currently unbeaten on his MMA record. He is known as ‘Bullet’ and has started garnering attention in the UFC community for his magnificent performance and unique personality. But who does he look up to? For the Dagestani, it was Khabib Nurmagomedov who paved the way for him to UFC.

Sharaputdin talks about the influence of Nurmagomedov

During a podcast with Red Corner MMA, ‘Bullet’ declared his admiration for the retired Hall of Famer. Back in 2012, Khabib Nurmagomedov who was born in Dagestan flew into the United States with perseverance and a dream. His goal was to be the greatest fighter in the world. Seven years down the road, the Dagestani was a legend and retired from the sport while soaring high in the industry. He inspired millions at home to follow in his footsteps.

Speaking to Denis Geiko, Sharaputdin Magomedov talked about how the sport became famous in Dagestan. He said, “Nobody thought it would reach such a high level of professionalism and the fighter’s pay would be that good. That it would become a show business nobody could foresee that back then. Khabib was paving the way in the dark on his own as if he had a lamp in his hand. And we were just watching him trailblaze that path in America.”

The middleweight fighter spoke about the trajectory of Khabib’s career and how the Dagestani came to the US. He single-handedly dedicated his time and effort to become the biggest fighter which inspired people like Islam Makhachev, Usman Magomedov, ‘Bullet’ himself, and many others. Even though Magomedov complimented his senior, he also revealed that he was scared of him.

Sharaputdin is intimidated by Khabib Nurmagomedov

‘The Eagle’ proved his ability inside the Octagon by beating some of the biggest names in the promotion. In an Instagram video, Magomedov was seen answering a question about whether he would like to fight Nurmagomedov.

Magomedov said, “No, I haven’t seen Khabib since then. Back then, I indeed wanted it, but not anymore. When I look at Khabib, he looks big. I wanted to wrestle him when he was around the same weight as me. I believe now he’s heavier than me and physically I wanted to feel that strength that he had when he was still competing. But now I understand that he is really… a bear, and he can just break me.”

Khabib is one of the all-time greats in UFC and retired with a record of 29-0. Now he trains the other fighters from his hometown in his camp. He was recently Makhahchev’s coach and helped him win against Dustin Poirier.

Khabib’s legacy is being continued by ‘Bullet’ who is all set to headline in Saudi Fight Night. Let’s see how he performs.