Khabib lifted MMA in Uzbekistan: First female Uzbek fighter in UFC

Russian superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov is playing a crucial role in the growth of mixed martial arts in Uzbekistan, said Liliya Shakirova, the first female UFC fighter from Uzbekistan.

Shakirova, making her debut in the UFC, will face flyweight No. 5 Lauren Murphy in the main card of UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi’s Fight Island on Saturday.

She revealed that it was only last year the MMA became a legal sport in Uzbekistan but is making rapid progress ever since.

“We get support from our president and Khabib’s team. His team came to Uzbekistan and negotiated ways to get Uzbek fighters reach the UFC and other promotions around the world. So, they are heavily involved in those negotiations. Khabib has a lot of fans in Uzbekistan. I am happy to be fighting on the same card as him,” she said.

Shakirova, the wrestler, wasn’t keen on MMA and instead preparing for the Olympics. But she got disqualified for two years following a brawl against an entire team during a tournament held before the Olympics.