UFC phenom Nurullo Aliev put on a Khabib Nurmagomedov-esque performance in his long-awaited return to the cage.
A rising UFC phenom with an uncanny resemblance to Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov made a big statement when he returned after a two-year layoff.
Lightweight Nurullo Aliev, who had not competed in two years due to various injuries, went back and forth with fellow wrestler Joe Solecki on the UFC Vegas 101 undercard. After getting into trouble early against Solecki, Aliev rebounded with dominant wrestling in the later rounds to earn a unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards.
It was a triumphant performance for Aliev, who was noted by many fans as having a striking resemblance in appearance and style to Nurmagomedov. A former standout on Dana White's Contender Series, Aliev remains undefeated in his career and continues to impress in the division Nurmagomedov once ruled.
Photos by Cooper Neill/Getty Images, Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Nurullo Aliev puts on a Khabib-esque performance at UFC Vegas 101
The ties between Aliev and Nurmagomedov are not just indirect in terms of their physical likeliness and similar styles. Aliev competed under Nurmagomedov's promotion, Eagle FC, before catching the attention of the UFC brass via DWCS.
Aliev defeated Kirill Kryukov by unanimous decision at Eagle FC 41 before earning a UFC contract at DWCS almost a full year later. He finished Josh Wick by TKO in the first round to secure a UFC roster shot from UFC CEO Dana White.
Nurmagomedov retired from fighting in 2020 after a successful lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He walked away from the UFC to fulfill a promise to his mother following the tragic death of his father.
Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to overcome the plane incident and hectic schedule at UFC 311
Nurmagomedov is hours away from what will likely be a hectic night at UFC 311. A chaotic fight week for the UFC Hall of Famer began in controversy en route to Los Angeles, when he was reportedly removed from an Alaska Airlines flight due to a misunderstanding about sitting in an exit row.
Nurmagomedov will corner UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and his cousin Umar in the top two fights at UFC 311. Umar will face UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 311 co-main event.
After overcoming health and injury issues, Aliev appears to be back on track to resume his meteoric rise to the lightweight ranks. He's an early breakout star candidate to watch as 2025 continues to develop.
Although Tajik Aliev and Dagestani Nurmagomedov are not directly related, their physical likelihood and style are similar. Both wrestling elites are off to a busy start in 2025 and will look for more success as the year progresses.
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