5 Things You Might Not Know About Magomed Umalatov

Countless hours of repetition in the gym and a steady rise through the ranks have led Magomed Umalatov here: one win away from a Professional Fighters League championship and a life-altering seven-figure payday.

The undefeated 32-year-old Russian will put a perfect 17-0 record on the line when his welterweight final opposite countryman Shamil Musaev helps anchor the PFL 2024 Season Championships this Friday at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Umalatov advanced to the final with wins over Andrey Koreshkov, Brennan Ward and Neiman Gracie. He has secured 13 of his 17 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, 10 of them inside one round.

As Umalatov moves ever closer to his high-stakes showdown with Musaev at 170 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He faced long odds from the start.

Umalatov was born in Zenzeli, Russia, a city of fewer than 4,000 people situated some 900 miles to the southeast of Moscow. He was the youngest of eight children.

2. Premium preparation powers his possibilities.

“Prince” operates out of the revered Eagles MMA and American Top Team camps, splitting time between his native Russia and Coconut Creek, Florida. The gyms offer him regular access to a number of world-class coaches, from Marcos DaMatta and Anderson Franca to former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov.

3. He marked himself as an immediate person of interest.

Umalatov made his professional debut at the age of 23 in May 2015, roughly five years after he began his formal mixed martial arts training. He recorded seven first-round finishes in his first eight appearances, highlighted by a 43-second triangle choke submission of Stanislav Vilchinsky and a 40-second technical knockout of Asan Nurmatov.

4. He checks a bunch of boxes.

A first-time PFL finalist, Umalatov holds the prestigious Master of Sport designation in MMA, army hand-to-hand combat and combat sambo.

5. Regional gold lined his pockets.

Umalatov remains one of only three men—Samandar Murodov and Denis Izmodenov are the others—to capture the Eagle Fighting Championship welterweight crown. He laid claim to the title with a 72-second technical knockout of Alexey Novikov on Aug. 30, 2019, made one successful defense and then vacated the championship to sign with the PFL.