Khabib Nurmagomedov lives in Makhachkala, Dagestan. During his fighting career he trained there with his father’s Eagles MMA group and in San Jose, California, at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). He has not publicly shared a street address, and this article does not give one.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Sildi, in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan |
| Home base | Makhachkala, Dagestan |
| Home gym | Eagles MMA, Dagestan/Russia |
| U.S. camp gym | American Kickboxing Academy, San Jose, California |
| Longtime coaches | Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez |
Hometown: From Sildi to Makhachkala
Nurmagomedov was born on September 20, 1988, in the village of Sildi in Dagestan, then part of the Soviet Union. His father’s family later moved to Kirovaul, where his father converted the ground floor of their two-story building into a gym. In 2001 the family moved to Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, where he trained in wrestling from age 12 and judo from 15.
Makhachkala is still the city most closely tied to him. Major reference sources list him as fighting out of Makhachkala, and one profile states plainly that he lives there. He has not given a detailed public account of his current living arrangements, so the city is as specific as this article can be.
Where He Trains: Eagles MMA in Dagestan
His first and longest-running training base is the group built around his father. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was head coach of Eagles MMA and coached two UFC champions, his son Khabib and Islam Makhachev. Abdulmanap died on July 3, 2020.
Eagles MMA is a Russian organization. It was founded in November 2016 by Khabib Nurmagomedov and businessman Ziyavudin Magomedov. Sources disagree on the details. One gym guide lists a 2020 founding date and a Moscow address, while Wikipedia gives November 2016 and describes training facilities across Russia. Because the sources conflict, this article does not name a specific Eagles MMA building. The team is widely associated with Dagestan, though.
One gym guide says Russian and Dagestani fighters train at Eagles when at home and at AKA when they are in the U.S. That matches how the team has operated for years.
Fight Camps: American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose
For many camps, Nurmagomedov worked out of AKA. AKA is an MMA gym based in San Jose, California. It was founded by Javier Mendez, who is also its primary owner. Nurmagomedov started organizing parts of his fight camps in the U.S. at AKA.
ESPN’s coverage of his preparation for the planned UFC 249 bout gives a concrete look at a camp day. Mendez said he sparred every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with regular practice covering grappling, wrestling and striking on the other days. Nurmagomedov also ran outside almost every day. His team was a close group of fellow Dagestan natives, and Islam Makhachev and Islam Mamedov were his main sparring partners.
That camp took place during coronavirus restrictions, so it was smaller than a typical one. AKA was closed to the public for about 22 hours a day. One widely shared view is that the AKA years sharpened his all-around game. Many in the MMA community believe AKA improved his striking, while he was already a world-class grappler under his father.
What He Does Now
Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in October 2020. Since then, his training role has moved from fighter to coach. A gym guide notes that while still fighting, he also coached part-time at AKA and at his home gym in Dagestan. Wikipedia says he became a full-time coach and cornerman before retiring from the sport completely in January 2023.
His best-known coaching relationship is with Islam Makhachev, who is also from Makhachkala. One profile says Makhachev began training with Khabib’s father at a young age and that Khabib is now his head coach. Coverage of Makhachev’s UFC 322 fight in New York City showed the shared setup. Mendez spoke about 2026 goals for Makhachev and other members of Khabib’s team. Makhachev’s UFC 322 opponent was Jack Della Maddalena, whose own training base we cover separately.
Video titles posted in July 2026 describe Khabib joining Makhachev’s camp for UFC 330. We could not confirm from those listings where that camp was held, so we are not naming a location. One of the titles says he officially joined Makhachev’s training camp.
Why the Dagestan–San Jose Split Matters
The two-base model is common among top fighters from the region. Dagestani teammates build their grappling foundation at home. They then travel to California for high-level striking work and sparring with a different set of partners. Wikipedia’s team listings for Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov show the same two affiliations, Eagles MMA and AKA.
For more on how this works across the sport, see our guides on where and how UFC fighters train and where UFC fighters live.
What Is Not Publicly Confirmed
- His exact residence, which he has not shared and which we would not publish.
- Whether he currently spends part of the year in the United States. Earlier years included extended stays in San Jose, but no recent source we found gives a present-day schedule.
- The precise Eagles MMA facility he uses day to day, given the conflicting source details noted above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Khabib Nurmagomedov live?
He lives in Makhachkala, Dagestan. That is the city-level detail available from public sources. Nothing more specific has been confirmed.
What gym does Khabib Nurmagomedov train at?
His main teams are Eagles MMA in Russia and American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Wikipedia lists both as his team affiliations.
Who trained Khabib Nurmagomedov?
His trainers were his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and AKA head coach Javier Mendez.
Is Khabib Nurmagomedov still fighting?
No. He retired from MMA in October 2020. He has since worked as a coach and cornerman.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Simple English Wikipedia: Khabib Nurmagomedov
- ESPN: Khabib Nurmagomedov training in closed gym for UFC 249
- Wikipedia: American Kickboxing Academy
- Wikipedia: Eagles MMA
- Wikipedia: Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov
- Sportskeeda: Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to AKA
- Low Kick MMA: Best MMA Gyms
- Bloody Elbow: Javier Mendez on Team Khabib
- Opro: Islam Makhachev profile
- YouTube: Khabib joins Islam Makhachev’s camp (video listing)
Last updated: October 2026
