Wi͏th a career recor͏d of͏ thirteen vict͏ories a͏nd on͏ly one defeat, Myktybek Orol͏bai ͏i͏s͏ ͏looking to ma͏ke ͏it ͏big on the grand͏ stage of the UF͏C. Fighti͏ng o͏ut of Osh, ͏Kyrgyzstan, Oro͏lbai͏ dra͏ws͏ inspi͏ra͏tion f͏rom the spi͏rit of his͏ ancient an͏cestors to o͏vercome his opponent͏s—at least͏ t͏ha͏t’s what the MMA community believes,͏ ͏as he ͏has already d͏efeat͏ed both of his opponents since͏ joini͏ng the UFC.

As he prepares to face ͏h͏is opponent at UFC 308, o͏ne question l͏inger͏s in t͏he ͏minds of MMA fans: What does this fe͏at͏ represent? Does it ͏ha͏ve any co͏nnection to͏ ͏K͏habib Nurmagom͏edo͏v? Ahead of his fight, let’s u͏nc͏over the truth.

The significance behind Myktybek Orolbai’s hat

Made from densely matted fibers, Myktybek Orolbai wears a mountain-shaped hat that represents the national heritage of his nation. The hat has cemented its status as a national significance and it has been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. What’s the name of the hat, you might ask? It’s known as the Kalpak hat and it holds immense significance to Orolbai’s culture.

The hat is the national emblem of Kyrgyzstan, celebrated annually on March 5th as Kalpak Day. The hat symbolizes the snow-capped mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan. According to the legends, its shape and white color represent purity and the majestic nature of the Kyrgyz landscape. Besides the snow white color, the hat has black needlework, with diverse symbols having different meanings.

The Kalpak is treated with great respect among the Kyrgyzstan community. It’s not treated as a normal hat due to the cultural norms surrounding the headpiece. It should not be placed on the ground or given away casually. Despite other things, the origins of this hat are kind of unknown to this world. Regardless, now that we know about the hat, is it any similar to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Papakha? Let’s find out.

Is Orolbai’s hat different from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Papakha?

When Khabib Nurmagomedov made his mark in the promotion, his friends encouraged him to proudly represent his culture on the global stage. The ‘Eagle’ chose his signature headgear, the Papakha, to do so. En route to the American nation, Khabib Nurmagomedov bought a $50 Papakha hat to make his friends happy. But who knew that this would be the start of a new era of cultural representation of fighters?

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Papkha holds immense significance in the lives of the Dagestani people. According to the sources, this headgear is often worn by people who go into the warzone. Well, for the former UFC lightweight champion, it is a massive part of his life, “It’s an honor to me to represent my traditional headgear around the world, my culture, my history.I have an opportunity. People know me and I want people to know where I am from. I want to show people Dagestan, Dagestan culture, Dagestan history, because we have very, very big history in Dagestan. If I have opportunity, why not? Why not?”

So do the Kalpak and the Papakha have any similarities? Well, vaguely speaking, both headgears have different meanings and cultural significance, so it would be wrong to compare them. Regardless, what’s your take on the hubbub? State your thoughts in the comments below.