“I like this moment. I enjoy fight week, cutting weight. I’m doing what I love and embracing every second of it. Thank God for everything,” said Muhammad Naimov at his UFC debut in 2020. Fast forward to 2024, and the fighter is putting on a show in Saudi Arabia on a marquee UFC card. Struggle is a part of a fighter’s success story and Naimov’s story is no less than a tale about a rollercoaster ride. Supported by bantamweight fighter, Cory Sandhagen, Naimov is going to fight Kaan Ofli to get back to the winning column.

With Israel Adesanya’s return to the Octagon, UFC Saudi Arabia is expected to raise the temperature in the desert nation. The highly anticipated clash will take place at the electrifying Fight Night event at Riyadh’s prestigious ANB Arena on February 1, 2025. Well, ahead of the anticipated clash, the MMA community has a question for Naimov regarding his ethnicity and nationality. Let’s take a closer look.

Where is Muhammad Naimov from?

Muhammad Naimov, or rather ‘Hillman,’ was born on August 7, 1994, in a small town in the Khaton region of southern Tajikistan. When Naimov watched McGregor vs. Diaz, he realized he wanted that too, “In 2016, when I was in Florida for three months, there was a fight between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. All the seats were taken, and all the tickets were sold out. I said to myself, why not give it a try.” The thrilling clash inspired him to work hard and become capable enough to compete under the UFC banner.

After finishing his sports career in his home country, Tajikistan, Naimov moved to the United States for better opportunities. However, life was hard for Hillman. Struggling to make ends meet, He started delivering food and worked as a Lyft driver for months to ensure that he got the food on his plate.

However, despite these difficulties, ‘Hillman’ never blamed anyone and fought to make a stable career. At one point, Naimov questioned the cost of winning, which made him doubt his fighting career. However, another UFC fighter helped him get back on track, ultimately leading to his UFC debut.

“Sandhagen made me believe that everything would work out,” said Naimov

Naimov admits that he still struggles to save enough money for himself, as taxes, nutrition, training camp expenses, and other costs take up a significant portion of his fight earnings. However, what keeps him going is the belief that one day, everything will fall into place, “I say to myself, ‘Muhammad, it’s hard now, but believe me, after two or three fights, with the help of the Almighty, everything will be fine’. There will be a new contract with good money and everything will be fine,” said Naimov.

Amidst these hard times, Cory Sandhagen stands by him like a rock, continuously reminding him that he has what it takes and that his time will come sooner than expected, “I thought ‘I can never be in the UFC.’ But thanks to Cory Sandhagen — my brother, my teammate, my coach — who was in my corner at that moment, he told me, ‘Muhammad, you have to wait for your time; your time will come. You train hard, you’re learning every day, and you’re getting better every day. I like the way you train, I like the way you fight — you have to wait for your time; it will come.”

With 11 victories and 3 defeats, ‘Hillman’ is currently riding a one-fight losing streak and in desperate need of a win and the same goes for his opponent, who is riding a one-fight losing streak. Regardless, in the clash, who do you think will come out at the top? State your thoughts in the comments below.