WATCH: Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov indulge in bizarre ‘Dagestani basketball’

Islam Makhachev hopes to make his first fight of 2024 in June.

WATCH: Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov indulge in bizarre ‘Dagestani basketball’

Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov play Dagestani Basketball (Via Instagram/Imago)

Dagestan has produced some of the finest mixed martial artists. Starting from Khabib Nurmagomedov who put the region on the MMA scene to Islam Makhachev who carried on his legacy. Following them are Umar Nurmagomedov and many other Dagestani fighters. Apart from fighting, they often indulged in modified basketball play for recreation.

Recently, the ‘Nurmagomedov MMA School’ handle on Instagram posted a clip of Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov playing ‘Dagestani Basketball’. They teamed up with other fighters in their gym and played the game with their unique ruleset. As such, both Nurmagomedov and the lightweight champion scored some baskets. Moreover, Makhachev outwitted his opponents to assist his teammates just like he used his fight IQ in the cage.

YouTube video

The Dagestani version of the ball looked like a culmination of Basketball, Rugby, and Wrestling. The players aimed at scoring baskets and dribbling or other customs of the game didn’t apply. One could even defend players using wrestling techniques. Khabib Nurmagomedov was a master at this. This also aided the Dagestan fighters to become one of the best wrestlers in MMA.

FS Video

Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov played for the same team and presumably won the match, given the highlights had them scoring more. Nurmagomedov MMA school’s (named after the late mentor Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov) training area came with mats and a basketball rim which facilitated the fighters for the recreational basketball activity.

What’s next for Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov

Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov are turning out to be a force to be reckoned with in the UFC. The former reigned as the lightweight champion and had already defended his title twice. Nurmagmedov climbed up the rankings in the bantamweight division and aspired to become a champion soon. With both of them observing Ramadan, what’s next for them?

Umar Nurmagomedov (L) - Islam Makhachev (R)
Umar Nurmagomedov (L) – Islam Makhachev (R) (via The Sun/

Umar Nurmagomedov recently won his fight against Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Vegas 87 to extend his winning streak to 17. Now, he chased a fight with the top contender Cory Sandhagen. He looked at him as the fastest way to the title shot. As for Islam Makhachev, he wanted to fight in June. Considering the top lightweight conders’ unavailability, he welcomed a matchup with Dustin Poirier. ‘The Diamond’ recently secured a spectacular knockout win at UFC 299.

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov verbally agreed to fight during International Fight Week. With Islam Makhachev’s interest to fight in June, they could potentially feature on the same card. However, the UFC hasn’t released any news about the Dagestanis’ next fights.

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