Khabib Nurmagomedov to Be Inducted Into UFC’s Hall of Fame

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former lightweight champion from Russia, is set to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this July.

UFC President, Dana White, emphasised that Nurmagomedov is one of the “greatest athletes to ever compete in professional sports.”

“No one dominated their opponents that way Khabib did, and to retire undefeated, as lightweight champion and the #1 pound-for-pound athlete in the world is an incredible accomplishment. It will be an honour to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer,” he continued.

Nurmagomedov, also known as ‘The Eagle’, is widely known for his 29-0, undefeated streak in the competitive sport. His career spanned over 12 years until he officially retired in 2021.

The ultimate highlights of his career include the time he won the vacant championship by defeating Al Iaquinta and then went on to have dominant title defences against the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. And throughout this, accredited all of his achievements to Allah and even promoted Islam during his press interviews, which highlighted aspects of the religion in a positive light on a global platform. Strength, class and willpower – 3 qualities that all Muslims aspire to hone.

Nurmagomedov will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the ‘Modern Wing’, joining other notable athletes such as Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019) and Georges St-Pierre (2020).

“The ‘Modern Era’ category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17th, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35 or who have been retired for one year or more,” the website added.

Congratulations, Khabib!