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UFC phenom Nurullo Aliev put on a Khabib Nurmagomedov-like performance in his long-awaited return to the cage.

An up-and-coming UFC phenom with an uncanny resemblance to Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov made a big statement in his return from a two-year layoff.

Lightweight Nurullo Aliev, who hadn’t competed in two years due to various injury issues, went back and forth with fellow grappling ace Joe Solecki on the UFC Vegas 101 undercard. After Aliev got into early trouble against Solecki, he bounced back with dominant wrestling in the later rounds to earn a unanimous decision win on the judges’ scorecards.

It was a triumphant performance for Aliev, whom many fans have pointed out as a striking similarity in appearance and style to Nurmagomedov. Aliev, a former Dana White’s Contender Series standout, remains undefeated in his career as he continues to impress in the division Nurmagomedov once reigned.

Photos by Cooper Neill/Getty Images, Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Nurullo Aliev puts on a Khabib-like performance at UFC Vegas 101

Aliev and Nurmagomedov’s links aren’t just indirect in their physical likeliness and similar styles. Aliev competed under Nurmagomedov’s promotion, Eagle FC, before earning the attention of the UFC brass via DWCS.

Aliev defeated Kirill Kryukov by unanimous decision at Eagle FC 41, before earning a UFC contract almost a full year later on DWCS. He finished Josh Wick by first-round TKO to secure a UFC roster shot from UFC CEO Dana White.

Nurmagomedov retired from fighting in 2020 following a successful lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He walked away from the UFC to honor a promise to his mother following the tragic death of his father.

Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to overcome airplane incident, hectic schedule at UFC 311

Nurmagomedov is hours away from what will likely be a hectic night at UFC 311. A chaotic fight week for the UFC Hall of Famer began in controversy on his way to Los Angeles, as he was allegedly removed from an Alaska Airlines flight over a misunderstanding of sitting in an exit row.

Nurmagomedov will corner UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and his cousin Umar through the top two fights at UFC 311. Umar will face UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 311 co-main event.

After overcoming health and injury issues, Aliev seems back on track to resume his quick climb up the lightweight ranks. He’s an early breakout star candidate to watch as 2025 moves forward.

While the Tajik Aliev and Dagestani Nurmagomedov aren’t directly related, their physical likeliness and styles are similar. Both wrestling elites are off to busy starts in 2025 and will look to find more success as the year progresses.

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