Is UFC’s Ikram Aliskerov Related to Khabib Nurmagomedov?

With just 2 UFC appearances on his resume, Ikram Aliskerov has already made waves in the MMA world! The Dagestani fighter made his way to the promotion by submitting Mario Sousa with a kimura in the first round of their clash in Dana White’s Contender Series 54 in 2022. This led to him making his UFC debut the following year at UFC 288 against Phil Hawes. With a stunning first round finish, Aliskerov put the UFC’s middleweight division on notice with this impressive debut.

His impressive skills and Dagestani origins have led many fans to question his relationship with former UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. As such, let’s take a look and explore all we know about how Ikram Aliskerov crossed paths with Nurmagomedov and his family.

Ikram Aliskerov and his links to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s family

Born in the Kasumkent village of the Suleyman-Stalsky District in Dagestan, Ikram Aliskerov began his journey into combat sports when he started training in sambo and judo when he was in the 5 grade. However, when he turned 19, he was invited to join the ‘Champion’ club by Esadull Emragaev, a renowned MMA coach in the region.

Aliskerov isn’t related to Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the two have a long history together. According to information available online, Aliskerov was trained in sambo and judo by coaches who came from Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s gym. ‘The Eagle’ and Alikserov have also trained together in the past in training camps held by the former UFC champion’s father in Dagestan when they were both youngsters.

In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Aliskerov revealed the secret behind Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov creating MMA champions like his son and protégé, Islam Makhachev. Aliskerov stated, “You know the biggest thing about him and I always say this, he put a huge emphasis on discipline, he even had this saying that ‘discipline always beats over class.’ ”

Aliskerov also shared that according to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s coaching philosophy, being disciplined was more important for fighters than being highly-skilled in their chosen combat sport. As such, this emphasis on discipline can be evidenced by ‘The Eagle’s training and his work as a coach after retirement from MMA.

Ikram Aliskerov is now set to face Robert Whittaker as a short-notice replacement for Khamzat Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia. Ahead of this crucial matchup, and faced with the daunting task of clashing against a former middleweight champion in just his 3 UFC appearance, Aliskerov recently revealed that he reached out to Khabib Nurmagomedov for some much needed advice.

‘The Eagle’ provided crucial mentorship for Aliskerov

Ikram Aliskerov is currently unranked in the UFC’s middleweight division, as such, if he manages to secure a victory against Robert Whittaker, there’s a high likelihood that he can find himself in the mix at the top of the division with just 3 fights inside the Octagon! While some fighters may consider it too much of a risk to face such a high-caliber opponent on short notice, in his interview with RedCornerMMA, Aliskerov revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov provided him with an interesting perspective on the fight.

Aliskerov stated, “After I took the fight I called Khabib. He said ‘You can’t miss these chances, you have to fly here and sweat for 2-3 days”  The Dagestani middleweight also shared that ‘The Eagle’ told him to be wary of Whittaker’s striking prowess but ended his advice by stating, “…be attentive and everything will work out.”

In conclusion, with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s advice and his father’s training philosophy it remains to be seen if Ikram Aliskerov can continue his rise within the UFC and become a dominant force in the middleweight division.