Is Magomed Ankalaev related to Khabib Nurmagomedov?

UFC light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev is not related to Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, both men hail from Dagestan, Russia.

Magomed Ankalaev is currently 18-1-1 as a pro and currently the No.2-ranked UFC light heavyweight. His sole defeat came at the hands of Paul Craig in his octagon debut. The Russian is currently riding a ten-fight undefeated in the promotion.

In his last outing, Magomed Ankalaev fought former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title. He showed impeccable reslience after getting nearly finished with leg kicks in the earlier rounds and made smart use of grappling prowess to make it to the final bell.

The fight was rendered a split draw but a large section of the MMA community argued that Magomed Ankalaev deserved the nod from judges.

The 31-year-old is gearing up to take on Johnny Walker on the main card of UFC 294. The event will take place on October 21, 2023 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

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Dagestani fighters other than Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov that have done better in premier MMA organizations

Khabib Nurmagomedov has an older brother named Magomed Nurmagomedov. However, he is not an MMA fighter, nor is he associated with the sport. Considering that 'The Eagle' prefers to keep his personal life private, not much is known about his brother.

While Khabib Nurmagomedov's sibling isn't involved with the sport of MMA, his cousins compete in the UFC and other promotions as well.

The Dagestani's eldest cousin, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, fights in the welterweight division of the UFC. The 32-year-old made an unsuccessful start to his promotional career, suffering a first-round submission defeat against David Zawada in November 2019. However, he has since bounced back with two consecutive decision wins.

Umar Nurmagomedov, another cousin of 'The Eagle', joined the UFC roster in January 2021 and competes in the bantamweight division. The 27-year-old has been undefeated in his professional career and holds an impressive 16-0 record.

Umar Nurmagomedov is 4-0 under the promotional banner, with his latest triumph coming over Raoni Bareclos via knockout. Prior to that victory, Nurmagomedov picked up back-to-back wins over Sergey Morozov, Brian Kelleher and Nate Maness through 2021-22.

Usman Nurmagomedov is another cousin of 'The Eagle' and the younger sibling of Umar Nurmagomedov. Like his elder brother, he is also 18-0 in his professional MMA career. The 25-year-old has signed with Bellator and competes in the lightweight division. Usman is 7-0 in Bellator, with his last three victories coming in title fights.

Usman Nurmagomedov looks primed to take on the most elite lightweights around the world. His last three wins came over former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull, Benson Henderson and Brent Primus.

Benson Henderson is considered among the most accomplished UFC lightweight champions in history. He ties the record for most title defenses in the division with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar, and BJ Penn. A win over an experienced and game opponent like him speaks volumes about Usman's potential as a fighter.