Khabib Nurmagomedov receives HUGE appreciation from UAE Prime Minister for achievements as athlete

Khabib Nurmagomedov's illustrious career earns him yet another accolade, even after retirement.

Khabib Nurmagomedov receives HUGE appreciation from UAE Prime Minister for achievements as athlete

Khabib Nurmagomedov receives the prestigious UAE Prime Minister award (Source: UFC.com/Twitter)

Khabib Nurmagomedov is an ace of a reckoning force within the MMA sphere. The 29-0 lightweight in combat sports is unassailable in statistics and fame. These days. “The Eagle” partakes in coaching Dagestani fighters. However, he will not corner anyone as that part of his life is over. Recently, he received the UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum award for his various feats.

The fighter commands great respect even after having separated from fighting altogether. In his glory days, the fighter has hashed out with prominent names. His last four outings were title bouts against names like Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and Al Iaquinta.

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The fighter also won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Amongst his various career highlights, two stand out more than most. His UFC 229 submission win over “The Notorious” remains a highlight-reel moment in MMA history. His destruction of Justin Gaethje also remains fresh in people’s minds.

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With a round 2 submission at UFC 254, his last outing won him an ESPY Award for best MMA fighter. The fighter beat out nominees and then-UFC champions Francis Ngannou, Amanda Nunes, and Rose Namajunas for the award. As such, Nurmagomedov holds the same gravitas even today.

A brief history of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s achievements

Khabib is a name that is synonymous with the essence of combat sports history. At 29-0 MMA and 13-0 UFC, the fighter is undefeated to the utmost sense.

He has subsequently received Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement, and ESPY Awards. Alongside, he has been the go-to choice as the top fighter for a plethora of sports journalistic MMA coverage sites.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has a long list of unattainable achievements
Khabib Nurmagomedov has a long list of unattainable achievements (Source: IMAGO/ESPN.go.com)

Nurmagomedov made his pro-MMA debut in Sept. 2008 and won four fights in under a month. On October 11, he defeated his three opponents at the Moscow event to become the inaugural Atrium Cup tournament champion. He went undefeated over the next three years, finishing 11 of the 12 opponents.

“The Eagle” is a two-time Combat Sambo Champion and a veteran of the ProFC circuit. Accordingly, Fight Matrix ranks him as the #1 lightweight of all-time. When he retired, Nurmagomedov was the pound-for-pound #No. 1 until 2021. Forbes has him as the #1 Russian male athlete of all time. He held the 155lb gold from April 2018 to March 2021, making him the longest-reigning divisional in history.

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