Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin returns to combat sports 3 years after last fight

Abubakar Nurmagomedov, cousin of Dagestan fighting legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, will return to competition after a three-year absence. The former UFC welterweight is set to face David Zawada in an 84-kilogram wrestling rematch on September 20 at ORA Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, as part of the Global Grappling Series 2026 under the AIGA banner.

The two fighters have history: Zawada defeated Nurmagomedov by submission—first-round triangle choke—when they met at UFC Moscow in November 2019. Nurmagomedov compiled a 2–2 record during his UFC tenure. His last MMA bout came in June 2023, when he dropped a split decision to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.

Zawada, a German veteran, enters the rematch seeking to replicate his previous success. The 1–4 UFC veteran's sole victory in the promotion came against Nurmagomedov in Russia. Since leaving the UFC, Zawada has competed in Oktagon MMA, the Professional Fighters League, and KSW. He last fought on August 1, losing to David Kozma under the Oktagon banner. This wrestling rematch gives both men a chance to rewrite their history in a grappling format.