Khabib Nurmagomedov protégé who he tipped to become ‘the best in the world’ posts Dana White photo following UFC rumors

Saygid Izagakhmaev poses with Dana White to seemingly confirm his UFC signing

There have been rumors for some time now that Saygid Izagakhmaev has signed to the UFC.

Khabib Nurmagomedov stated this himself several months ago, with a debut expected to take place before the end of the year.

Izagakhmaev is a 31-year-old welterweight who has been training alongside the former UFC lightweight champion for over 15 years, having been coached by Khabib’s legendary father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

The Russian previously competed in ONE Championship, where he went 3-0, though he hasn’t fought for the promotion since his win over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in November of 2022.

He hasn’t competed in MMA since then, though he still boasts an impressive 22-2 record with 12 wins via submission.

Following several reports about him signing to the UFC, Izagakhmaev posted the following image on social media, showing him standing next to Dana White.

“Officially, from this day on, there is a new captain on the ship”

Khabib Nurmagomedov previously tipped Saygid Izagakhmaev to become the best fighter in the world

Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of Saygid Izagakhmaev’s final appearance in the promotion, Khabib Nurmagomedov gave his teammate very high praise.

“I’ve been training with Saygid my whole life. I know how much he improves every year. I know how dedicated he is. He’s getting physically stronger and stronger. He’s getting more and more experienced from fight to fight and soon, he’s going to be the best – not only in our team, but in the world. I have a lot of faith in him.”

Things may not have worked out for him in ONE Championship, but he did prove himself to be one of the most exciting talents on the roster in the one year where he was active.

Izagakhmaev’s last loss came via submission in 2021 to Carlston Harris, who is currently an active UFC welterweight that has gone 4-3 inside the Octagon.