After bidding farewell to the MMA realm back in 2021, Khabib Nurmagomedov ventured into promoting MMA on the global stage through his own promotion, known as the ‘Eagle FC’. There was palpable excitement among the MMA community, as they were enthralled to witness Nurmagomedov’s journey as a promoter. However, since its initial launch in 2020, things have changed significantly, and it appears that Nurmagomedov’s dream of topping the MMA charts is over.

With over 15 events under its belt, Eagle FC seemed poised for success. However, last year the promotion hosted only one event, raising questions about its trajectory. Khabib Nurmagomedov had promised to disrupt the MMA world with innovative new rules, but it appears his own promotion has struggled to stay in the game. So, what exactly happened to the Dagestani promotion? Let’s find out.

Does Khabib own Eagle FC?

The simple answer is yes. Khabib Nurmagomedov bought the struggling Gorilla Fighting Championship (formerly known as the Federation of MMA of Samara) for $1 million and renamed it Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC).  GFC has been active on the MMA scene since 2017. However, they have struggled to break into the ranks of the major global MMA organizations, primarily due to their lack of a prominent star and limited recognition outside of Russia. After the promotion was nearly bankrupt, Nurmagomeodv acquired it by paying a million dollars.

After acquiring GFC and renaming it to EFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he would disrupt the MMA world by changing its rules. “We gonna make like some weights may be different like some system wanna change. Not everything, like some small things maybe. Not small things like we gonna do like some other, we gonna use other may be systems from other sports, you know. In my league, we gonna change system. Like we gonna become very big around the world the US here, in Russia of course.”

Well, the EFC held its first event back in the USA on January 28, 2022, in Miami, Florida. It must be noted that after Islam Makhachev got the lightweight belt, Nurmagomedov announced that he would like to leave the MMA world for good. However, Eagle FC’s president and Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Shamil Zavurov, invited the former UFC lightweight champion to stay with them till the end.

“We will continue moving Eagle FC forward,” he said. “We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward. We have so many young guys who are competing. So we don’t want to just stop and leave this behind.” Well, ‘Eagle FC’ has seen a massive drop in popularity after Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from the sport. But for now, let us have a look at the events and the roster.

Eagle FC roster and events

Despite their dwindling popularity, Eagle FC initially clinched professional star power such as Kevin Lee, Rashad Evans, and Renan Barao. Khabib Nurmagomedov wanted to make sure that his promotion was a perfect blend of new upcoming talents as well as legacy fighters. With its competitive matchups, Eagle FC aimed to deliver high-quality MMA action.

In addition to its starfighters, Eagle FC has also featured several newcomers, including Irgit Oveenchi, Renat Khavalov, Ramin Sultanov, Dauren Ermekov, Diyar Nurgozhay, and many more. As of today, the Russian promotion has hosted over 50 events under its banner, with Eagle FC 55: Cup of Il Darkhan Aysen Nikolaev being the latest, which took place on November 9, 2024. Well, now that we have a bit of an idea about their roster, let us look at whether the promotion is active or not.

Is Eagle FC still going on?

Last year, Eagle FC hosted only one event, which took place at the end of the year. While the promotion might still be operational, it seems they are struggling to manage their operations effectively. It must be noted that Khabib Nurmagomedov is no longer an active member of this promotion and this is why former UFC fighter Diego Sanchez believes that the Dagestani camp has abandoned its fighters. “I don’t know if he’s gonna put an end to Eagle FC. So, I’m still waiting to hear on that,” said Sanchez.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has significantly impacted the ability of Russian fighters to compete in the U.S., which has become the primary reason Eagle FC has been unable to host events there. This limitation has effectively halved their revenue. UFC head honcho Dana White even came forward to emphasize that Khabib Nurmagomedov would find it immensely difficult to promote his events.

“I haven’t talked to Khabib about his promotion at all. He’s going to find out what it’s like to be on the other side. It’s not as fun as it seems. He’s going to learn. If he doesn’t know, he’s going to know,” said Dana White. He further added, “If he calls me and asks for advice, I would absolutely give him advice. But I think he’s going to learn the hard way.” It appears that being a promoter is much more difficult than being a fighter and the UFC CEO wants Khabib Nurmagomedov to learn it the hard way.

Regardless, what are your thoughts on the future of Eagle FC? State your opinion in the comments below.