5 Dagestani prospects who could one day compete for a UFC title
Following the success of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC, all eyes in the MMA community are now firmly fixed on Dagestan's next wave of upcoming prospects. Nurmagomedov has now taken on the role of both coach and promoter, assisting a plethora of Dagestani fighters who are looking to take the MMA world by storm.
Fighters like Islam Makhachev, Askar Askarov and Magomed Ankalaev are already fully established in their UFC careers, taking up the mantle of representatives of Dagestan now that Khabib has retired.
However, there is already a new wave of young prospects quickly rising behind them. In the following list we will detail five Dagestani fighters who are either yet to get to the UFC or are in the very stages of their career, but have the potential to go all the way to the top.
An honorable mention goes to Shamil Gamzatov, who could go onto do great things but was omitted from this list due to him being inactive for the past two years.
5 Dagestani prospects who could one day compete for a UFC title
#5 Khasan Magomedsharipov - Bellator featherweight
With Zabit Magomedsharipov appearing to be taking a step away from competing in professional MMA for now, it is time for his younger brother, Khasan, to step into the limelight.
Khasan Magomedsharipov is an undefeated featherweight, currently holding a 5-0 record. He was recently signed by Bellator MMA but, at only 20 years of age, there is plenty of time for the younger Magomedsharipov brother to transition over to the UFC and attempt to take featherweight gold.
Zabit was known for his unorthodox techniques in the octagon, and Khasan appears to be cut from the same cloth. In the video below he can be seen submitting an opponent with a twister, one of the rarest finishes utilized in MMA.
In a recent exclusive Sportskeeda MMA interview, Khasan's training partner and fellow prospect Timur Valiev had the following to say about him:
"Yeah he's a beast, you know... He gets better everyday. And yes, he's as good as his brother."