Said Nurmagomedov

Said Nurmagomedov, born on April 5, 1992, in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, is a professional mixed martial artist competing in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nurmagomedov commenced his professional MMA career in 2009 at World Ultimate Full Contact 15, where he secured a first-round armbar submission victory against Oscar Nave. After a hiatus, he returned to the sport in 2012, continuing his winning streak. His early career also saw him achieve his first knockout win in 2013 at Liga Kavkaz – Battle in Khiv 1.

His career progression included a significant run with Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), where he participated in the 2014 Bantamweight Grand Prix. He advanced through several rounds, winning by unanimous decisions against Asulan Toktarbaev and Magomed-Emin Khazhgeriev, and a TKO against German Barsegyan, before losing in the final to Magomed Bibulatov. Following his time with ACB, Nurmagomedov moved to World Fighting Championship Akhmat (WFCA), where he captured the vacant AFC Bantamweight Championship in 2016 by defeating Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev. His tenure at WFCA also featured a first-round submission victory over Anderson dos Santos at WFCA 35 in 2017.

Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut on July 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 133, securing a split decision win against Justin Scoggins. He continued to build his reputation with a first-round TKO against Ricardo Ramos at UFC Fight Night 144 in 2019 and a quick knockout of Mark Striegl at UFC Fight Night 180 in 2020. His skill in submissions was highlighted at UFC 270 in January 2022, where he submitted Cody Stamann with a guillotine choke in just 47 seconds, earning him a Performance of the Night award. He repeated this achievement at UFC 294 in October 2023, submitting Muin Gafurov via guillotine choke in the first round, also receiving a Performance of the Night bonus. With a professional record of 18 wins, 5 losses, and notable victories by knockouts and submissions, Nurmagomedov consistently demonstrates his versatility and effectiveness in the octagon.