Ahmed Mujtaba missed training with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev

Pakistani MMA world champion Ahmed Mujtaba credits his meteoric rise to training with arguably one of the best mixed martial arts teams.

Ahead of his highly-anticipated clash with the returning Sage Northcutt at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs Moraes III on Prime Video, Mujtaba once again sharpened his claws at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California.

The iconic gym houses some feared killers, including UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and his mentor, MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Unfortunately, due to Ramadan, the 30-year-old could not train with the Dagestani warriors this time, in preparation for his fight with ‘Super’.

‘Wolverine’ revealed in a ONE Championship interview:

“This is my second camp at AKA. My first I was training with Khabib, Islam [Makhachev], and other Russian guys. But this time due to Ramadan, Khabib couldn’t make it.”

In six appearances inside the Circle, Ahmed Mujtaba has gone 4-2, with his last two victories coming by way of impressive first-round finishes.

His sensational submission win via triangle choke over Abraao Amorim turned a lot of heads and perhaps earned him a shot against a big-name opponent like Sage Northcutt.

Ahmed Mujtaba, though, is aware that all eyes will be on his high-profile opponent, who will be fighting in front of his fellow Americans after a lengthy hiatus.

With both fighters looking to enter the stacked lightweight rankings, we can expect a barnburner between these two versatile warriors at ONE Fight Night 10.

ONE’s on-site US debut will emanate from the 1stBank Center in Colorado and air free for Prime Video subscribers in North America on May 5.