Is Khabib Nurmagomedov a black belt?

Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of the most dominant champions of all time in the octagon. Possessing immense grappling talent, 'The Eagle' from Dagestan is a black belt in Judo.

In his MMA career, Nurmagomedov remained undefeated with a record of 29-0. While the Russian had decent striking, Nurmagomedov's grappling often caught everyone's attention.

The undefeated fighter was easily able to take his opponents down by using a variety of throws and trips. This can be credited to Nurmagomedov's judo nous. His love for judo was portrayed during a debate he had with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Nurmagomedov said:

"Judo is like different level. If I have chance to take like judo Olympic gold medal or Freestyle wrestling, of course judo."

Check out what Nurmagomedov said below:

While he is a black belt in judo, 'The Eagle' is a white belt in BJJ which is four belts away from being a black belt in the martial art.

However, this has not stopped the Russian from being proficient on the ground with his submissions and top control. His experience with sambo and judo has helped him develop a deadly ground game.

In summary, Khabib Nurmagomedov's proficiency cannot be questioned when it comes to grappling. Holding the record for most takedowns landed in a fight, Nurmagomedov will go down as one of the greatest grapplers to step foot in the octagon.

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Why wasn't Khabib Nurmagomedov given his championship belt at UFC 229?

At UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title against arch-nemesis Conor McGregor. Despite winning the fight via submission in round four, 'The Eagle' was not given his belt in the octagon. UFC President Dana White cited the fear of the crowd as the reason behind it.

Moments after the Russian submitted Conor McGregor in round four, 'The Eagle' jumped over the octagon and attacked the Irishman's corner. This action by the former 155-pound champion led to a massive brawl involving members of team Nurmagomedov and Team McGregor.

Once the brawl calmed down, Nurmagomedov was announced the winner of the bout. However, 'The Russian' did not receive his belt in the cage. Speaking about the reason behind it, Dana White said:

"I felt that I have to start worrying about the fans and the people that are inside the arena... I felt if we put the belt on him in the middle of the octagon, it was gonna rain and I thought people would throw whatever they had into the octagon and I thought it would be a dangerous situation. So, I didn't do it.""

Check out what Dana White said below:

Even though Nuramgomedov requested the UFC President for his belt, the lightweight fighter had to leave the octagon without it. Since UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov has defended his title twice and then retired from the sport with an undefeated record to his name.