5 Things You Might Not Know About Umar Nurmagomedov

Umar Nurmagomedov has set a course for the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division.

The undefeated Russian will put his perfect 15-0 record on the line when he confronts former Resurrection Fighting Alliance titleholder Raoni Barcelos in a featured UFC Fight Night 217 attraction on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nurmagomedov has rattled off three consecutive victories, two of them finishes, as a member of the UFC roster. He last appeared at UFC on ESPN 38, where he outpointed Nathan Maness to a unanimous decision across three rounds in their June 25 confrontation.

As Nurmagomedov makes final preparations for his upcoming clash with Barcelos at 135 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. The combat sports gene can be found in his DNA.

Nurmagomedov was born on March 1, 1996 in Kizilyurt, Russia—a city of some 30,000 people situated a little more than 250 miles to the northeast of Tbilisi, Georgia. Hailing from a region known for fertile martial arts soil, he is the older brother of current Bellator MMA lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

2. His skills brought him notoriety before he arrived on the MMA scene.

The Dagestani grappler was a gold medalist at the World Combat Sambo Federation World Championships in 2015. Nurmagomedov struck gold in the 62-kilogram category. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut the following year, submitting Rishat Kharisov with a second-round guillotine choke under the Fight Nights Global banner.

3. He embraced being hunted.

Nurmagomedov laid claim to the inaugural Gorilla Fighting Championship bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision over Fatkhidin Sobirov on May 11, 2018. He successfully defended the title on three subsequent occasions—he turned away Wagner Lima, Taras Gryckiv and Braian Gonzalez, the latter two by submission—before he signed with the UFC in 2020.

4. Preparation does not figure to be an issue for him.

The Professional Fighters LeagueAmerican Kickboxing Academy camp in San Jose, California, where he sharpens his skills under the direction of Javier Mendes. Nurmagomedov shares the gym with a host of accomplished stablemates, including former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

5. He belongs to a short list.

Nurmagomedov is one of only four active UFC bantamweights with an undefeated record. The others: Javid Basharat (13-0), Raul Rosas Jr. (7-0) and Cameron Saaiman (7-0).