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Light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev belongs to the wave of elite MMA talent that has emerged from the Caucasian region in recent years. Ankalaev belongs to Dagestan, Russia and has many similar traits to other fighters from the region, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. But does he have the same cultural, ethnic and religious background? Let's find out.
What is Magomed Ankalaev's religion?
Magomed Ankalaev was born in the Teletl' village in the Shamilsky district of Dagestan, in Russia. His family is of Avar descent, the largest ethnic group in the mountainous region of Dagestan. Ankalaev was raised as a Muslim from birth and often credits his religion for his successes in the octagon.
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The 32-year-old lost his father when he was in ninth or tenth grade in school. As the eldest son, Ankalaev had to take the responsibility of supporting his family at an early age and worked extra hard to take care of his mother, three sisters and a younger brother. He is known to regularly visit his hometown in Dagestan to spend time with his loved ones and connect with his faith.
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Outside of this, not a lot is known about Ankalaev's family and personal life.
Magomed Ankalaev sheds light on changes he made in an important Islamic tradition ahead of UFC 313
Muslims observe fast from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. During the daylight hours, consumption of food and water is prohibited for those observing the fast. Magomed Ankalaev, being a devout muslim, did not break this tradition even while getting ready for his UFC 313 title fight against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
UFC 313, which takes place on March 8, will coincide with the month of Ramadan. Despite preparing for competitive showing during the holy month, Ankalaev is observing the fast. However, he had to make a few changes during the fight week to be able to have a smooth weight cut. During the Media Day interaction, Ankalaev said:
“If we’re talking about the training or the training camp, the preparation, that was done before Ramadan. So there was no issues with that. The only thing that we had to change is because the week of the fight is Ramadan, what I had to do was I had to break a couple of fasting sessions because I have to drink a lot of water in order for me to be able to make the weight. Other than that, everything is the same.” [Via Translator]
Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments and translator's interpretation below (32:07):
