Unbeaten Dagestani prospect Khabib
Nabiev will make his second
Professional Fighters League appearance when he faces Styve
Ngono Essono in a light heavyweight prelim at
PFL Dubai.
The 28-year-old Nabiev is a first cousin of former
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Khabib
Nurmagomedov. Like his cousin, Nabiev developed a sambo base at
the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School. He favors submissions,
particularly chokes, but has also stopped five opponents with
strikes. He enters the bout at 12-0, and his opponents have a
combined record of 97-81-6.
Khabib
Nabiev makes his pro debut with a first round assault against
Vladislav
Fedchenko. Started with the question mark kick. #GFC22
https://t.co/4ZuxTtdVKf
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman)
December 13, 2019
Nabiev spent the first half of his career with
Gorilla Fighting Championships and Eagle
Fighting Championship, fighting six times over 32 months
between 2019 and 2022. The 6-foot-1 prospect moved from
welterweight to middleweight for his UAE
Warriors debut.
🇷🇺Khabib
Nabiev (9-0) gana a Bruce Souto
(16-6) vía sumisión por mataleón en el primer asalto #UAEWarriors51
https://t.co/ofmuhxA3oU
— Pelunaton (@pelunaton)
July 27, 2024
At UAE Warriors, Nabiev faced more experienced opposition,
including PFL Challenger Series graduate Bruce
Souto. Nabiev submitted him with a rear-naked choke in the
first round of their 194-pound catchweight bout.
Nabiev moved to 205 pounds after signing with the PFL. In his
promotional debut, he controlled the exchanges against Ahmed Sami
on the feet and on the mat. Nabiev took Sami down in the second
round and landed punches from half guard until the referee stepped
in.
A
heavyweight title fight headlines PFL Dubai: Tune in on Saturday,
Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. ET on the ESPN app.
Nabiev has a chance to make a name for himself apart from his
famous cousin. Essono (8-1) has lost just once, but on paper,
Nabiev’s wrestling gives him the edge. A second convincing PFL win
would give the rest of the light heavyweight division reason to pay
attention.