Islam Makhachev often urged fellow fighters to spend “2-3 years” training in Dagestan and forget everything else. But have you ever wondered why Dagestani stars like Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, along with their teammates, never visited Thailand? Known for its rich art of eight limbs, Thailand has produced countless MMA, kickboxing, and Muay Thai legends who are making waves in the UFC.

Fighters like Khalil Rountree Jr., Rafael Fiziev, Petr Yan, Arman Tsarukyan, and the all-time legend and UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko developed their skills in Thailand, showing the country’s impact on the sport. Still, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, opposed his fighters traveling to Thailand, even though the American Kickboxing Academy has a branch there. Now, the real reason behind his stance is finally coming to light.

Why was Thailand off-limits for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp?

“Khabib’s father always had an issue with him coming to Thailand because of distractions. So I don’t think Khabib’s ever going to come, and probably Islam and his close guys with Khabib won’t either. We do get a lot of Dagestani guys who come to Thailand, but for some reason his family didn’t want that distraction when he was in his career,” AKA Thailand owner Mike Swick told Red Corner MMA.

Thailand’s party culture and nightclubs are famous worldwide, and along with the fight scene, they could easily interfere with Team Khabib’s “no party, no girlfriend” rule. “It’s easy to get dragged into the party scene and go out and have fun. A lot of these guys do it here, and that’s why they don’t make it as fighters. You have to be very disciplined,” he added.

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However, not all Dagestanis think the same way. Beyond Team Khabib, many fighters have trained in Thailand and thrived. Muay Thai and kickboxing athletes like Dzhabar Askerov, Islam Murtazaev, and Ramazan Ramazanov have made a name for themselves and built successful careers while training there.

Still, despite the distractions, Team Khabib produces fighters who stay disciplined. Magomed Zaynukov (6-0), aka ‘Wild Chanco,’ a product of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov system, specializes in Muay Thai. Although he grew up in the Nurmagomedov wrestling school, he went on to become a four-time world champion in Muay Thai.

Interestingly, Zaynukov never trained in Thailand, yet he honed his skills in Dagestan and trained alongside GLORY legend Jason Wilnis. Even without Thailand experience, he earned the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Now, Wild Chanco has locked in a UFC deal and is set to debut this year in the lightweight division, looking to follow the winning blueprint established by Islam Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev reveals what separates Dagestan’s wrestlers from the rest

After Khabib Nurmagomedov rose in MMA, Dagestan quickly turned into the sport’s leading pipeline for elite wrestlers, with the UFC becoming their main stage. Since then, fighters such as Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov have taken over the scene, dismantling opponents with suffocating ground games and asserting control across their divisions.

Still, this style does not always win over fans who prefer striking-heavy action. Even so, Dagestani fighters continue to prioritize discipline, structure, and relentless preparation. They train in stripped-down conditions, where even basics like reliable Wi-Fi remain limited, reinforcing a culture built on focus and sacrifice.

“Because, brother, we have, you know, Dagestan has different levels of wrestling skills; that’s why… I think like 90 percent, like, everybody wrestling because this is like a national sport in Dagestan. That’s why people love this sport. We have many, many Olympic champions. And USA have national sport like football, but Dagestan, we have wrestling,” Islam Makhachev told Matt Serra in 2021.

Now, with his focus and dominance, Islam Makhachev has completely taken over the UFC scene, closing out last year by winning a second title, something his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov never achieved. Do you think their dominance proves that Dagestan’s fighting culture may be superior to Thailand’s?