Khabib Nurmagomedov Betting

Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov

To casual observers, Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov only made it into the public consciousness after defeating Conor Mcgregor at UFC 229 in October 2018. Dedicated fight fans will, however, be aware that Khabib is one of the best exponents of the sport and could yet go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

That win over McGregor took the lightweight up to number two in the MMA pound-for-pound rankings and he looks set for a dominant period in the game. Suddenly, there is plenty of interest from a betting perspective too with lots of Khabib Nurmagomedov odds markets available so let’s move quickly on and take a look back at his work.

Amateur Career

Little is known in regards to Khabib’s early career although it appears he trained in several fight disciplines including judo, sambo and wrestling. His father was a recognised coach and it was in his youth that the young Russian learnt his trade.

His progression was so fast that at the age of 20 in 2008, he made his professional MMA debut and from there, his rise up the ladder was swift.

Professional Career

Nurmagomedov first stepped into the octagon in a professional capacity in September of 2008 and he made an instant impact by winning four fights in less than a month. Such a quick turnaround was a clear indicator as to his quality and early fans were soon looking forward to the Khabib Nurmagomedov next fight listings.

They didn’t have long to wait as the Russian continued his performances through October 2008 on an through the remainder of the year. Over the course of the next three years, Khabib secured a perfect record of twelve wins from twelve fights with eleven of those victories coming inside the distance. His fight odds were shortening and it wouldn’t be long before the UFC came calling.

That perfect record was extended to 16 and 0 by the time that Nurmagomedov made his official debut as an MMA fighter. By late 2011, the Russian had signed an initial contract for six fights in the lightweight division and the UFC betting odds were already coming down on his side.

That first UFC battle followed on January 20, 2012 and Khabib made short work of his opponent, Kamal Shalorus, winning by submission in the third round. Fights became less frequent as the lightweight made his way through the ranks but his success continued and a year later, the Russian’s overall record stood at 19 and 0.

By this stage, UFC President Dana White had also taken a specific interest in Khabib, likening him to some of the world’s greats including Matt Hughes. Big things were planned but it would be some time before Nurmagomedov would take on a title fight.

September 2016 was the date with Khabib and his management team signing contracts that were set to see him take on the reigning UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez with the early fight odds split fairly evenly between the two men. Unfortunately for the Russian and his growing army of supporters, Alvarez withdrew from his obligations and opted to take on Conor McGregor instead.

Khabib was angry and took out his displeasure on his next opponent – Michael Johnson – whom he defeated at UFC 205 by virtue of a submission in the third round. Finally, at UFC 223 in April 2018, Nurmagomedov had a shot at a title as he took on Al Iaquinta. It was a circuitous route to the bout after other opponents had been withdrawn and it proved to be something of a mismatch with Khabib dominating from the start before winning by a unanimous decision to take the UFC lightweight championship for the first time.

The Khabib Nurmagomedov next fight against Conor McGregor brings us right up to date as the Russian beat his opponent quite comfortably to retain that UFC lightweight belt. Khabib started as a marginal favourite in the pre fight odds but he should arguably have been shorter as he dominated from the first bell to win by submission in the fourth round.

His next opponent is set to be confirmed very soon but we can be fairly certain that the Khabib Nurmagomedov odds markets will come down heavily in favour of the Russian as he looks to cement his position at the top of the UFC lightweight tree.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Betting Odds, Markets and Offers

After his victory over Conor McGregor in October 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov was set to close out the year with a perfect overall career record of 27 wins from 27 pro fights. At that stage, the future was undecided so no-one was exactly sure what the Khabib Nurmagomedov next fight would be but clearly there would be plenty of backing for the Russian in the UFC betting odds markets no matter which opponent lined up against him.

Of those 27 wins, eight came by knockout and nine by submission which meant that the remaining ten battles went the full distance. These are important numbers to consider if you are looking to take a bet in the Method of Victory markets and / or, if you’re looking to stake on whether the fight will go the distance or not.

MMA isn’t a sport that gives bettors a huge choice in terms of prop bets but those are the most common options and when considering Khabib Nurmagomedov odds for any upcoming fight, these are useful stats to have on your side when compiling a betting strategy.

Khabib dismissed Conor McGregor with some ease and as another exciting year in the octagon came to a close, the Russian was at the very top of his game. He’s a key component of the UFC division moving forward and the organisation will be planning his next moves very carefully so keep an eye on the career of Khabib Nurmagomedov as he seems destined to be known as one of the best MMA fighters to have ever graced the sport.