Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov both originate from Dagestan, a place in Russia popular for producing elite-level mixed-martial-artists. As both these mixed martial artists belong to the same place as well as to the same ethnic group “Avar” in Dagestan. Both these players may share the same ethnicity but that’s not enough to signify them as related by blood as there is no major evidence on this fact. Sharing the same ethnicity is possible as Dagestan is home of producing elite fighters and fighters here train and support each other which shows connection through their heritage and fighting roots rather than direct blood ties.
As sharing ethnic background is not enough to evident your blood relation. Despite being from the same ethnic group and even from the same place both Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov do not train together. Primarily he trained in American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in California under coach Javier Mendez. He frequently travels to Dagestan to train in his hometown region.
On the other hand, Ankalaev has his own team which has no relation with the Khabib’s training camp. Despite sharing the same place they never train together which concludes their different fighting style. Khabib is a master of grappling and wrestling-heavy tactics whereas Ankalaev believes in a striking-oriented approach. All these differences prove by birth they belong to the same place but professionally they have their own paths.
Clarifying the Family Misconception: No Family Ties Between Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov
No blood relation occurs between Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Not only do both belong to the same place but also sharing the same ethnic group “Avar” and sharing the same family names leads to confusion of their connection. Dagestan’s history is fully based on migration and the surname “Nurmagomedov” is common in the region which does not imply any family connection between them.
The confusion got more support due to Khabib’s elder brother, Magomed Nurmagomedov, as he shares the same name but is totally unrelated to Ankalaev. Khabib’s elder brother, Magomed Nurmagomedov is not a mixed martial artist.
Khabib’s Legendary Lightweight Reign vs. Magomed’s Light Heavyweight Ascent
Both are having different professional careers, As Khabib has a legendary career in the lightweight division whereas Ankalaev is dominating the light heavyweight category. The #1 Light-Heavyweight contender debuted in 2014 and has an terrific record with just a single loss to Paul Craig by submission in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 127. With his hard work and improvising in fighting technique, Established himself as the #2 contender in the light heavyweight division of the UFC as of October 2023.
On the other hand, Khabib is known for retiring with a perfect 29-0 record. Top class grappling and domination on opponents helps him to win the lightweight championship. He retired in 2020 by winning his last fight against Justin Gaethje and sets the record which is very difficult to be achieved by any fighter. He is routinely considered one of the greatest to have ever had a career in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Same background but different professional paths
Both players share a lot of things between them but that doesn’t signify their blood relation. At last it can be concluded as having the same origin, Ethnicity and a few links doesn’t prove Magomed Ankalaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov are family members. Despite these connections both have completely different professional careers in UFC with different divisions. In addition, both have their different training environments and fighting styles.
Magomed Ankalaev is set to face Alex Pereira for the Light-Heavyweight Championship at UFC 313. The Dagestani has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. It will be interesting to see how the challenger fares against the LHW champion at UFC 313.
REDDAVENI SAISNEHA 
Ashvinkumar Patil