Outside Source
Nurmagomedov (29-0) is also known as “The Eagle” all around the world. However, the former UFC lightweight champion recently revealed that he didn’t have a nickname before his UFC career. Nurmagomedov recalls being urged to use a nickname because his name was hard to pronounce. Nurmagomedov chose “The Eagle” as it the symbol of his homeland of Dagestan.
Advertisement
A Symbol of Home
“When the UFC signed me in 2012, they told me, ‘My friend, your name is very hard to pronounce. You need a nickname.,’” Nurmagomedov said at the World Sports Summit in Dubai. “I was like, ‘What? I have my name, why do I need a nickname?’ I asked my manager, ‘What does nickname mean?’ He said, ‘Your name is very hard for them to say.’ I took ‘Eagle’ because it’s a symbol of Dagestan, but after six years, everybody knows my name.”
As Nurmagomedov became a household name in MMA, fans also learned to pronounce his surname correctly. Several elite Dagestani fighters like Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov and Usman Nurmagomedov go without a nickname now.
Khabib reveals he didn’t want a nickname, but UFC said his name was hard to pronounce 😲😬
“When the UFC signed me in 2012, they told me, ‘My friend, your name is very hard to pronounce. You need a nickname.’ I was like, ‘What? I have my name, why do I need a nickname?’ I asked… pic.twitter.com/FHmj3I2cYe
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 30, 2025
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
Help support MMACrazies.com when you shop Amazon by starting your online Amazon shopping at MMACrazies.com/recommends/amazon. You are not charged extra, but we receive a small and very helpful commission on everything you purchase. Thanks for thinking of us every time you shop at Amazon.
