Dagestan: Powerhouse For Best Grapplers in MMA And Wrestling

Dagestan has produced numerous talented wrestlers and MMA fighters who have achieved remarkable success in the UFC and wrestling. One example of such an MMA fighter who competed in UFC is Khabib Nurmagomedov. This is all due to the unique style and tradition of Dagestani wrestling and mixed martial arts, which enable fighters to exhibit a style that is very difficult to beat against opponents. They are also able to fight more effectively using the Dagestan style of fighting. But why is Dagestan so famous for the best grapplers? What makes the Dagestan style so unique and unbeatable? How is Dagestan continuously producing top grapplers in MMA and wrestling? We will discuss answers to all these questions in detail in this article. The following are the answers to all such questions.

• Dagestan has a traditional fighting culture, which means that in Dagestan, the martial arts are practiced everywhere. This is a tradition in Dagestan. Seeing children training for martial arts is not an unusual thing there. There are adults who are practicing martial arts, and the children idolize them as their favorite martial artists. Seeing others fight and train creates a bond and liking for martial arts in children.

• In Dagestan, children at a very young age start practicing MMA and wrestling. Some of the martial arts that are very famous in Dagestan and practiced widely are Sambo, Freestyle wrestling, and Judo. So many people, whether young or old, practice them even if they have no goal to compete in national or international matches. This traditional culture, filled with martial arts training from young to old, is a reason why Dagestan is very famous and successful in producing the best grapplers in the field of MMA and wrestling.

• Training in the mountains is many times better than training in martial arts at sea level. The one who trains at sea level will have a lot of difficulty while competing with the one who trains at a higher altitude. The reason is increased stamina, muscular endurance, and other things related to your physical capability. This great thing is not unusual for Dagestan fighters because they train at altitude. So this is another reason why they are better than other fighters.

• When you train at altitude, such as on mountains, there is less oxygen as compared to the oxygen levels at sea level. So you have less oxygen in the mountains. Training in an environment with less oxygen makes a lot of changes in your body, such as yo ur body becomes adapted to intense training in lower oxygen levels. This increases your aerobic capacity. Oxygen is more efficiently delivered to your muscles. So your oxygen uptake in your body and aerobic capacity increase manifold. So you are at an advantage when you compete against a fighter who trains at sea level.

• Moreover, your lung function is improved, your body starts producing more red blood cells (RBCs), all of which contribute to increased stamina and endurance.

• Fighters in Dagestan focus on training in challenging and harsh environments, unlike other fighters who train in gyms. They run on steep hills, unlike other fighters who use treadmills in gyms for running. They also run on uneven terrains, which increases their endurance many times. As discussed previously, they train in the Caucasus Mountains.

• Moreover, the environment is not the only thing that is harsh and challenging for them to train in. They also do exercise and martial arts training in a very intense and harsh way. However, they may lack advanced gym equipment for martial arts training; this lack is not able to restrict them from becoming the best grapplers in the world because they are replacing it with challenging exercises and training in harsh environments. This is another reason why Dagestan is world-famous for producing the best players in the world.

• Another reason for Dagestan being able to produce the world's best grapplers is that they are mixing three elements in their training for martial arts, which include: traditional exercises, modern training like other fighters do, and their unique cultural exercises, which they have been practicing in their daily lives. An example of such unique cultural exercises is lifting heavy stones in a harsh environment in the mountains.

• This one exercise looks like a very simple exercise, but it is a very unique exercise that gives them a lot of benefits, such as muscle endurance, increased stamina, increased aerobic capacity, improved oxygen delivery to the body, better lung functions, and muscle strength, particularly in the arms and shoulders. So, combining multipole elements into their martial arts training, Dagestan fighters are able to dominate the world of wrestling and MMA in UFC.

• Another reason making the Dagestan graplers the world's best and famous in competing around the world is their unusual training ethics and their daily routine for martial arts training. Athletes, particularly those who are about to compete in national or international tournaments, follow a dedicated lifestyle of work. They wake up early in the morning and then start their training. They don't start their training at 12 in the afternoon like other martial artists.

• In the training, their coaches make them do the exercises and training in a very harsh and intense way. These are not easy. Secondly, they continue doing these harsh exercises for hours and do them daily until they think they have become master at it. They don't let the distractions interrupt their training lifestyle and routine.

• Moreover, the martial arts trainers who are not competing in any tournament are also very dedicated to the training and follow an intense and disciplined training regimen. So this is a culture there, and it is not an unusual thing for them. So when your training is unusual and much better than others, your performance also becomes better than others.

• Dagestan fighters have a better grappling game due to their better fundamentals. The reason is that their culture is not based on one martial art. Their culture and tradition are filled with many martial arts. The most popular sports among Dagestan people are Sambo, Judo, and wrestling (freestyle). When you live your whole life in such a culture that is a blend of many martial arts and also train there, you are not learning only one martial art.

• Although the people there may focus on one martial art, they are practicing the moves and techniques from various other martial arts. So, actually, they are fighting with the blend of skills in their skills toolbox. For example, other fighters, when they train for wrestling they may learn takedown attempts and techniques which are offered by only that martial art.

• But Dagestan fighters are not like that. They equip the takedown attempts and techniques from various other martial arts and implement them in their game. What is the result? The result is that their opponents are not able to counter their attacks because the techniques are unfamiliar to them.

• So the fundamentals that Dagestan people learn in their grappling include the fundamentals across many martial arts. This makes their grappling game stronger and much better than that of other fighters. When your fundamentals are strong, and that too in a harsh and tough environment, your game becomes better and improved more than that of usual fighters.

• The seventh reason for Dagestan people being the world's best grapplers in UFC and wrestling is that they have a strong passion for martial arts. They love to train because they have very deep and historical connections with these sports. The reason for this is that since an early age, the people living in Dagestan watch others play, train, and fight with each other, doing martial arts, particularly Judo and wrestling. This creates a sense of passion in them to learn and train martial arts themselves.

• So the majority of the people living in Dagestan have a passion for training wrestling and Judo, and they do train these martial arts, but not all of them compete in international tournaments such as UFC. A stronger passion leads to focused and hard work in training for competing in international tournaments. So, the strong passion among Dagestan people is another reason they are considered among the best grapplers in the world.

• Another reason for the Dagestan people being the world-famous and best grapplers is that they have a tough mind and a warrior’s spirit. This spirit cannot be earned. The spirit develops in you depending on your environment. If you have an environment filled with people who have a strong passion for martial arts and who train every day with a focused mind, then surely you will develop a winner’s and warrior’s spirit.

• Dagestan people develop a tough mind in themselves through their harsh training in harsh environments. They do intense training and for much longer periods. This development develops discipline in them, and the harsh training they undergo and win very tough and challenging competitions develops toughness in their mind.

• So, having a tough mind with a warrior’s spirit is another reason Dagestan people have made their careers remarkable in the field of MMA and Wrestling.

• Dagestan grapplers are making remarkable careers in MMA and wrestling, particularly in UFC. They have proved the effectiveness of their unique training style at the highest level. One of the most prominent examples of Dagestan training style success is Khabib Nurmagomedov, who remained unbeaten throughout his career. Khabib proved that if a UFC fighter trains in the Dagestan style and fulfills all the requirements, then it is very difficult for others to beat them.

• Khabib is the most famous example of Dagestan's successful training style, and he captured the attention of many other fighters towards Dagestan. Besides Khabib, there are many other fighters who are training in the Dagestan style and making a remarkable career. But Khabib was an exceptional example of Dagestan style.

Due to the success of Dagestan style, many other MMA fighters and trainers are implementing its training elements in their own style. But are all of them succeeding in their MMA and wrestling journey? Certainly not. This is because you cannot be successful just by training in Dagestan style. You have to be passionate, hard working, dedicated, and disciplined like Dagestan fighters, and these things are more important than other things. Just because all students of the same teacher cannot perform equally, you cannot perform like Khabib in his style. So, besides the good training, you also need to add other elements to your daily MMA and wrestling training routine.