Is Sharaputdin Magomedov Related to Khabib Nurmagomedov? Was He Kicked Out of Abdulmanap’s Gym?

The Russian province of Dagestan has a population of just over 3 million people. This is barely 0.04% of the eight billion people on Earth. However, the region is a hotbed for producing some of the finest MMA talents. One such Dagestani, who joined the UFC in 2023 and is making a name, is none other than Sharaputdin Magomedov.

The UFC lightweight division alone has seen two Dagestani champions in the last decade. Of course, we are talking about Khabib Nurmagomedov and his protégé, Islam Makhachev. Hence, fans might wonder if there’s even an ounce of connection between these two lightweight legends and Sharaputdin Magomedov. Ahead of ‘Shara Bullet’s UFC on ABC 9 clash against Marc-Andre Barriault in Abu Dhabi, let’s explore his relationship with ‘The Eagle.’

Are Sharaputdin Magomedov and Khabib Related?

While the two share certain similarities (including part of their last names), Sharaputdin Magomedov is not related to Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two, however, do hail from the Dagestani Republic in Russia and speak the same native tongue. But he is not just another Dagestani wrestler, because another difference between the two is that ‘Shara Bullet’ is primarily a striker and does not rely much on his grappling skills.

When he was asked if he wanted to wrestle with ‘The Eagle’, he claimed that Nurmagomedov’s skills were far superior. He said in an Instagram video, “Back then, I indeed wanted it, but not anymore. When I look at Khabib, he looks big. I wanted to wrestle him when he was around the same weight as me. I believe now he’s heavier than me and physically I wanted to feel that strength that he had when he was still competing. But now I understand that he is really a bear, and he can just break me.”

That said, their paths have crossed in meaningful ways. Back in 2024, during a business forum in Dubai, Sharaputdin Magomedov got the chance to listen to the former UFC lightweight king speak. The topic? His father Abdulmanap’s humble beginnings, selling cows to build a gym that would change MMA history.

In an interview with Russian Media, which was then translated by Bloody Elbow, the UFC middleweight confessed, “The meeting was great and Khabib was very nice. He was exactly what I expected and I didn’t want to take up a lot of his time. There was even a moment when I saw that he was being distracted here and there and he had other meetings planned.”

Before parting ways, the former UFC champion gave Magomedov a gift, an expensive watch, as he continued, “So we had already talked and I was thinking about leaving but he said, ‘Wait, don’t go, sit there and we’ll talk.’ He gave me a watch. And I was very pleased with such a gift, no matter what it was but in fact it was an expensive gift. It’s very nice to get that kind of attention.”

So, with all the warmth between the two and the same origins in Dagestan, why didn’t he ever train with ‘The Eagle’s legendary father? The answer may surprise you!

Why was Sharaputdin Magomedov kicked out of Khabib’s gym?

Turns out, Sharaputdin Magomedov’s hair got in the way, literally. As a kid, Shara Bullet wanted to train at the gym built by Abdulmanap. He even managed a session there when Khabib wasn’t around. But there was one rule: fighters had to sport a short, bald hairstyle.

In his own words, “I always had a long haircut and in my childhood, youth, school time. I heard about the gym. The problem was that to sign up there you had to have the haircut. There was one time I went there when Khabib was young, and he actually wasn’t training that day, so I trained. I left, and the problem was that Abdulmanap said, ‘You need a short bald hairstyle.’ Then, I didn’t understand the meaning of it; it seems that it may not interfere in principle. Yes, well, if you take it from the outside, why do you grow it?”

So instead of joining the now-iconic Dagestani gym. Some might say that decision cost him access to world-class grappling. Others argue it gave birth to the wild, unpredictable striker fans love today.

As Sharputdin Magomedov prepares to clash with Barriault at UFC on ABC 9, fans can’t help but compare him to the legend from his homeland. They’re not related by blood, but their stories now orbit the same UFC universe.