THE founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has paved the way for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to gain greater popularity, especially after its first event that took place in 1993.
Today, MMA is known widely as the fastest growing sport in the world due to its ongoing ground fight matches that are streamed live on ESPN+ for television audiences.
Thus, it is no surprise to see the acceptance of this full-contact combat sport blossom worldwide and continue to rise phenomenally. Its growing popularity is also influenced by its presence on social media.
Often, fans around the world take to social media to share their thoughts and opinions, and react to the ongoing matches. As the number of viewers increases, the fighters get more exposure as well. Consequently, MMA has turned into a cultural melting pot.
UFC has now become a more diverse organisation compared to the older days. Most of its fighters now come from different parts of the world. To illustrate, its current champions include fighters from Nigeria, Mexico, Cameroon, and Brazil. With its diverse stable of fighters, UFC has successfully made its way into the international market.
Unbeknownst to many, UFC also has several Muslim fighters.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Of course, ‘The Eagle’ is no stranger to many. Born in Dagestan Republic, Russia, Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov is the first Muslim to win a UFC title. This retired undefeated champion stands among the elite fighters who are easily recognised by their first name.
The 33-year-old rise to fame began when he entered the octagon to square off against Kamal Shalrous. Although Khabib’s striking skills were still unrefined during the match, it was his control of the grappling art that garnered attention. He ended his first debut by knocking down Shalrous via submission in the third round.
Eventually, he learned to employ the techniques that defined his career. Khabib continued to make history when he became the undisputed lightweight champion of the world in 2018, with the longest winning streak. Adding to his success, he surpassed Jon Jones as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in UFC rankings after he capped off Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event again, via submission in the second round.
The UFC legend however announced his retirement after he managed to maintain his undefeated record (29-0) against Gaethje in October 2020.
Islam Mackachev
Another rising Muslim fighter is Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev, who is said to be the next Khabib. Currently ranked 4th in UFC’s lightweight rankings, the top-ranked fighters in the lightweight division are said to avoid getting into the same octagon with Islam due to his first-class fighting skills. He made his successful debut appearance in M-1 Global where he fought against Tengis Khuchua in 2011.
Throughout his career, Islam only experienced one loss when he was capped off by Adriano Martins from Brazil via knockout back in 2015. After the rough fight, the Russian redeemed himself in a match against Gleison Tibau in 2018 where he cashed in a technical knockout (TKO) in just 57 seconds. With guidance from Khabib, it is no surprise to see Islam succeed in another square off during UFC 267 against Dan Hooker that was recently held.
Kamaru Usman
Next on the list is a Nigerian-American professional MMA artist, Kamarudeen ‘Kamaru’ Usman. This Welterweight champion is currently ranked 1st in UFC’s Men’s Pound-For-Pound with 20 MMA record wins and one loss. Born into a Muslim family, the 34-year-old migrated to the U.S when he was eight years old and became a wrestler.
Also known as the ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, Usman has become one of the most powerful champions in UFC history. He ripped through the welterweight ranks to claim the title, and defended it several times before he became one of the club’s top strikers.
Usman made headlines during his first fight with Colby Covington in 2019. With three titles at stake, it was said to be one of the best fights of the year.
On Nov 7, Usman reunited with Covington in the octagon for UFC 268 and has now dropped the American fighter twice by unanimous decision to retain his title.
Amir Albazi
Hailing from Baghdad, Iraq, Amir Albazi made his victorious professional MMA debut in 2009 and earned his second professional MMA win in the same year. The 28-year-old is an expert in both Bellator MMA and Brave Combat Federation (CF) promotions.
Most of Albazi’s finishes are through submissions, and he is known for executing successful takedowns and has a very competent striking defence.
In 2020, his hard work and passion have all paid off when he successfully submitted Malcolm Gordon with a rare triangle choke finish in the first round.
Also nicknamed ‘The Prince’, he is now ranked 13th in the flyweight division with 14 wins, and just like Islam and Usman, Albazi experienced only one loss as well when he was taken down by Jose Torres during Brave 23: Pride and Honor.
Albazi’s last square off was against Zhalgas Zhumagulov in UFC 257 in January 2021 and he is now planning to become the first fighter to bring the UFC title to Iraq.
Askar Askarov
Askar Askarov, one of the finest fighters, kickstarted his professional MMA career in Russia when he faced off Shamil Amirov in July 2013. ‘Bullet’, who was born deaf, has won a gold medal for his native Russia in freestyle wrestling at the 2017 Deaflympics.
Ranked 2nd in UFC’s flyweight division, the 29-year-old stretched his winning streak to 14-0-1 in professional MMA, with seven submission victories and four knockouts.
Askarov made his UFC debut in 2019 against the current UFC’s Flyweight Champion, Brandon Moreno, or ‘The Assassin Baby’ which ended in a draw.
Following his debut, the freestyle wrestler has put on three continuous performances against Tim Elliot, Alexandre Pantoja, and Joe Benavidez where he dominated all three matches and showcased a variety of skills in every aspect of the game.
Magomed Ankalaev
Another Russian pro-MMA artist, Magomed Alibulatovich Ankalaev is slowly climbing the light heavyweight rank. After six consecutive fights, Ankalaev recently extended his winning streak to seven when he shut out former UFC title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 267.
With the victory, he moved up to No.6 in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight ranking. Standing six-foot-three, the rising star has showcased an incredibly diverse skill set throughout his career. With more to come, Ankalaev is now aiming to claim the light heavyweight division title.
Shamil Abdurakhimov
Ranked 8th in the UFC heavyweight ranking, ‘Abrek’ is known for delivering the best action-packed matches. Before he signed his contract with UFC, the 40-year-old participated in Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship (ADFC) in 2010 where he won three matches via unanimous decision and TKO, respectively.
His last victory in ADFC earned him an ADFC belt and one million dirhams (RM 1.1 million).
Since his UFC debut in 2016, Abdurakhimov has gained nine wins via knockout and four wins via submission. To date, he has a professional fight record of 20 wins, six losses, and zero draws. The six-foot-three fighter is now set to meet Tom Aspinall in the octagon for UFC’s event on March 19 next year.
