In 2022, Nurullo Aliev became the first fighter from Tajikistan to earn a UFC contract after he submitted Josh Wick on Dana White’s Contender Series. But as his performance quickly became a reason to steal the fans’ attention, the ‘Tajik Eagle’s uncanny resemblance to Khabib Nurmagomedov also became one of the reasons behind his rising popularity. But facial resemblance and an undefeated record weren’t the only things that connected them. The shared experience of losing their fathers during their careers is one more addition to this, which became another major turning point in their lives.

At the UFC’s inaugural event in Qatar, Aliev scored a huge victory over Paddy Pimblett’s debuting teammate, Shaqueme Rock, via unanimous decision. With that win, the Tajikistani fighter moved to an 11-0 unblemished record and extended his streak to three straight victories in the promotion. But his recent win meant more than just numbers. As his first thoughts after the fight, Aliev opened up about how losing his father this February put him through a whirlwind of emotions, and how he had to fight through those feelings and a lot of hardships to come back.

Nurullo Aliev breaks down while speaking about his father’s passing

“To be honest, after my debut, I had an operation, and in January, I got into a fight. In February, I lost my father. I’m mentally back at it again. 6 months have passed away, and I’m here again. If I think there will be no problems. I will often fight,” the Tajik Eagle said in the UFC Qatar post-fight press conference.

His father was strongly against him pursuing his career in MMA. Though the details about his passing are not much known, Aliev’s words show how deep this personal grief has been for him.

For the unversed, after Aliev made his UFC debut in 2023 against Rafael Alves, he suffered a terrible leg injury. Because of that, his fight with Mateusz Rebecki also fell through, and the 24-year-old Tajiki fighter couldn’t compete for the entire 2024. After recovering from the injury, Aliev was scheduled to fight Yanal Ashmouz in January, which again fell apart because of the Israeli fighter’s injury. He eventually made a comeback against Joe Solecki, who stepped in as a replacement.

And now, with multiple hiccups in his career and the recent passing of his father, it has definitely been hard for Aliev to focus on fighting, which makes his win at UFC Qatar even more impressive. However, ‘Tajik Eagle’ isn’t the only one who has spoken about how losing a loved one affected his UFC journey. Recently, Khabib Nurmagomedov again opened up about his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s passing and how it influenced his early retirement as well.

During an interview with S Khalil on YouTube, ‘The Eagle’ said,

“It was a very difficult situation. From one side, it was all world waiting for this fight. On the other side, I had this deal, what happened with me and father and mother on the other side, and I chose what mother wished.”

So, with both fighters losing their fathers at crucial stages in their careers, they find similar ground not only in their uncanny resemblance but also in their emotional journeys.

That said, getting a victory at UFC Qatar was definitely a massive positive sign for the Tajik fighter, as he competed without being emotionally 100%. However, after winning that fight, he also opened up about his rivalry with Paddy Pimblett’s camp as well. 

‘Tajik Eagle’s rivalry with Paddy Pimblett 

Nurullo Aliev’s victory over Paddy Pimblett’s teammate might be even sweeter for him because, at one point, he actually wanted to face the Liverpudlian himself. After his debut win over Rafael Alves in 2023, he called out ‘The Baddy’ on X, writing, “So how about me and Paddy next? Let’s go,” while tagging the UFC, Dana White, and matchmaker Sean Shelby. But as Aliev went inactive after that win, the matchup naturally never materialized and Pimblett moved on, turning himself into a prime contender.

Now, after beating the No. 5 lightweight’s teammate, Aliev once again tried to revive the rivalry. At the UFC Qatar post-fight presser, he said,

“To be honest, I wanted to jump on him, but then I thought, he’s also a deserving guy. Well, at the top, how can I show such disrespect now? I know this is show, but no way my upbringing allows this. When I made my UFC debut, I challenged him. Well, it’s a dream that in England, where I could fight with him.”

That’s some pretty animated fighting talk coming from the Tajikistani talent as he made a strong comeback in the octagon. And after dominating Shaqueme Rock, the ‘Tajik Eagle’ may have just reignited a rivalry with Pimblett and his camp. But for now, Aliev has to climb the rankings by beating top-tier opponents as quickly as possible if he ever wants that future showdown with the Liverpool star, who’s already knocking on the door of a lightweight title shot.

That said, do you see the potential for Nurullo Aliev to reach that level in the next year or two? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below.