Umar Nurmagomedov fighting style: Is the ‘Young Eagle’ a Combat Sambo expert like Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Know all about Umar Nurmagomedov's fighting style and how it compares to the UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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Umar Nurmagomedov uses Combat Sambo as his fighting style (Image via UFC X account/MMA Fighting)
Umar Nurmagomedov is one of the most feared bantamweight fighters in recent times. Reportedly, many UFC bantamweights declined to fight him. Part of the reason was Umar Nurmagomedov’s fighting style.
Hailing from Dagestan, Russia, he is the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Also, he is the older brother of the Bellator champion, Usman Nurmagomedov. Carrying the Nurmagomedov name, fight fans had a keen eye on him.
The fighting style of Umar Nurmagomedov, unlike Khabib’s, involves heavy use of kicks and striking. He uses his Thai boxing background to inflict damage on his opponents. However, coming from Dagestan, how could he not be a wrestler? As such, he is also a phenomenal wrestler who drowns his opponents, imposing his ground and pound. Read along to know more about Umar Nurmagomedov’s fighting style.
What is Umar Nurmagomedov’s fighting style?
Umar Nurmagomedov’s fighting style includes a mixed combination of striking and grappling. This was not a surprise, having trained in freestyle wrestling and Thai boxing at a young age. Also, he picked up the art of Combat Sambo, which helped him mix his stand-up game with ground game. As such, he represented Russia in the Combat Sambo competition before venturing into MMA.
The Dagestani fighter utilizes his striking at first to take a read on his opponent. He uses his lightning-fast kicks to establish distance and control the range. The bantamweight likes to throw push kicks and roundhouse kicks for this purpose. Also, his question-mark kicks earned high praise among other UFC fighters. This is unlike his cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, thanks to his early training in Thai Boxing.
However, like any other Dagestani, Umar Nurmagomedov’s fighting style also includes takedown, ground & pound, and control. He times his takedown well, catching his opponents by surprise, and rains ground strikes to drown his opponent. Further, he has an impressive rear naked choke through which he has submitted six of his opponents.
Umar Nurmagomedov’s Combat Sambo training and comparison to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s fighting style
As said earlier, ‘Young Eagle‘ trained in Thai boxing and freestyle wrestling during childhood. Then he joined his Uncle, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who taught him Combat Sambo.
The Russian martial art almost mimics mixed martial arts – combining throws, punches, kicks, and submissions, leading Nurmagomedov to grasp the intricacies of mixing things. As such, competing in the 62kg division, he became a Combat Sambo Champion at the WCSF World Championships.
Although Khabib Nurmagomedov wasn’t a long-reigning champion, he dominated the UFC and retired with an undefeated record. Part of his dominance was due to his training in Combat Sambo. As such, Umar Nurmagomedov only improved with his cousin’s showcase and teachings.
Further, the ‘Young Eagle’ used his Thai boxing base for striking and inculcated Sambo’s wrestling techniques, like Khabib, to terrorize the bantamweight division. This style has effectively neutralized the threat of BJJ fighters.
How has the fighting style of Umar Nurmagomedov fared in the UFC?
Umar Nurmagomedov relies on his kicks more than Khabib Nurmagomedov. As such, he feels more comfortable on his feet and prefers to blast kicks at his opponent. His fight against Raoni Bacelos via knockout surprised the MMA world with the power in his hands.
Also, the threat of the takedown only helped with his striking. This always made his opponents doubt when the Dagestani would go for a takedown. In his relatively short career in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov has shown an incredible skillset.
Before his knockout win, the Dagestani won a decision against Nate Maness, controlling him for 2/3th of the fight and mauling ground strikes. Earlier, he won two fights against Brian Kelleher and Sergey Morozov via submission, showcasing his grappling prowess. However, he showcased patience, improved striking against Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7.
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Kaviarasu K
(269 Articles Published)