Russia’s UFC Champ Nurmagomedov resumes with trainings for bout with Gaethje

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - Reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia resumed with his training sessions for his bout against US fighter Justin Gaethje next month, a source in the team of the Russian fighter told TASS on Wednesday.

Nurmagomedov’s team announced earlier in the year that Khabib was scheduled to face Interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje of the United States on October 24.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is currently staying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced earlier that he put on hold his training sessions due to a dental disease.

«Khabib is back with his training sessions and everything is all right,» the source told TASS.

The Russian fighter’s team signed a contract in November 2019 for Khabib to face American Tony Ferguson at a UFC event in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, 2020, in Barclays Center.

However, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in March the state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which included the cancellation and postponement of various sports events, and the fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson was cancelled as well.

In March this year, UFC President Dana White announced that the Russian fighter would be substituted in the fight against Ferguson by Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje, 31, who has a record of 22 wins (19 by KO/TKO, one by submission and two by decisions) and two defeats. White also said that Nurmagomedov would retain his champion’s belt and the Ferguson-Gaethje fight would be «for the interim lightweight belt.»

On May 9, Gaethje booked a fifth-round TKO win over Tony Ferguson of the United States at the UFC-249 event.

UFC Reigning Champ Nurmagomedov

In early September 2019, Nurmagomedov defended his UFC champion’s belt for the second time in a title unification bout in Abu Dhabi against Dustin Poirier of the United States. The Russian defeated his US opponent with a choke in Round 3.

The 31-year-old Russian fighter, nicknamed ‘The Eagle,’ currently holds an unblemished record of 28 wins in all of his mixed martial arts fights (8 by KOs, 10 by submission and 10 by decision).

Khabib Nurmagomedov, hailing from Russia’s North Caucasus Region of Dagestan, was the first Russian to win the UFC champion title during the fight against his US opponent Al Iaquinta in the spring of 2018.

On April 8, 2018, Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in a five-round fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight belt in New York.