Nurmagomedov MMA school opened in Dagestan

The brand new, state-of-the-art Nurmagomedov MMA school has been inaugurated in Makhachkala, capital of the southern Russian republic of Dagestan. Named after father and coach of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Martial Arts School was opened on 2 December 2019.

“[We’ve got] a weight room, an octagon, punching bags, and tatami [mats]. We could have opened a café of restaurant to make money, but the development of my republic and country is more important,” said Abdulmanap at the opening ceremony. The ceremony was attended by state officials, including Vladimir Vasilyev, the highest authority in the republic.

The new gym will offer classes in MMA, boxing, judo, sambo, with plans to build an adjacent school for academic subjects. Khabib called it a “dream come true.” When asked about the name of the new facility, he asserted: “This is [the] most important thing for me … When [we began to] build this gym, we talked a lot about what name it’s going to be. I said … it’s going to be my father’s name.”

Khabib and his father have long been associated with Eagles MMA, who have locations in various Russian cities. The Nurmagomedov school, however, appears to be unaffiliated with Eagles MMA.

Khabib says he will start his camp at this gym, referring to his upcoming camp for the planned lightweight title fight against Tony Ferguson in April. Teammate Islam Makhachev, asked to compare the gym to the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, said: “This gym definitely doesn’t fall short.” He added: “It’s not necessary that everyone comes out of the gym a champion … We plan to build an educational facility here … We don’t just need fighters, we need good doctors and specialists as well.”