‘In Dagestan, you have to fight for respect’ – meet Nurmagomedov Jr.

In the second episode of our special series, ‘Dagestan: Land of Warriors’, we focus on Umar Nurmagomedov, one of the region’s most promising up-and-coming fighters and the younger cousin of UFC champion Khabib.

While his cousin’s name is established among the MMA elite, 23-year-old Umar is forging his own path in the sport that has so many devotees in his homeland. We take a look at Umar’s backstory, his thoughts on the role of MMA in Dagestan, and how he copes with the added pressure of being related to one of Russia’s biggest sports stars.

The episode also features UFC fighter Zubaira Tukhugov and the training that he and his teammates take part in as they hone their skills, including the fabled ‘Dagestani basketball’.

'Dagestan: Land of Warriors - Nurmagomedov Jr' follows the opening episode in which we introduced the region and its fighting culture through the eyes of locals and visitors from the outside. You can watch that episode here: