Magomed Abdulkadirov says martial arts was a means to survive growing up in Dagestan: “There were many street brawls”

At ONE Fight Night 16, Magomed Abdulkadirov will look to announce himself to ONE Championship fans in a huge way.

On his debut for the promotion, the Russian competitor will jump straight to the top of the card for a high-stakes matchup with one of the best in the world.

Stepping inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on November 3, Abdulkadirov will face Tye Ruotolo for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.

Thanks to his four consecutive wins under the ONE Championship banner, fans are very aware of the skills that Ruotolo brings to the table with his aggressive and high-pace style.

For the debutant, he has the pleasure of trying to spoil his opponent’s opportunity to join his brother Kade among the promotion’s esteemed world champions. That isn’t to say that his drive for this contest comes purely from the opponent that will be standing across from him.

With his own completely different journey of how he made it to the top of the sport, the 32-year-old competitor is on his own mission with his own motivations that all started back with his upbringing in Dagestan.

Over the last decade, this particular region might be more famous for producing elite martial artists than anywhere else in the world. They say that tough times breed tough people and that is certainly true for the inhabitants of Makhachkala, a city that shaped Magomed Abdulkkadirov into the competitor that he is today.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he reflected on his journey into martial arts and how at first, learning how to defend himself was a necessity rather than a career choice:

“I grew up in Dagestan, in Makhachkala. Like many other boys around me, I had a rough childhood. In our city, you have to be able to stand up for yourself and have basic martial arts skills. I wouldn’t say that Makhachkala is a criminal city, but in my youth, there were many street brawls.”

ONE Fight Night 16 will air live in US primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America