They start them young in Russia.
While Tony Ferguson has insisted that his wrestling acumen is "far superior" to that of upcoming opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov, not many share that opinion.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson meet for the interim UFC lightweight title in the co-main event of UFC 209 this weekend and the contest could well be decided in the grappling department.
Ferguson is a Division II national champion in wrestling, and the proud owner of a brown belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, but he has never displayed the powerful throws on which the undefeated Nurmagomedov based his style.
'The Eagle' is a Combat Sambo world champion, has a black belt in Judo and, you know, he wrestled an actual bear as a kid.
Three days after he turned nine years old, Nurmagomedov was pitted against this bear in a bizarre grappling match during which he held his own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvCgSmV9JA
By way of explanation for the bizarre training method, Nurmagomedov's father had this to offer.
"Firstly, a child always wants his father to see what his son is capable of," Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov told
ToFight.Ru, as transcribed by
Bloody Elbow. "It is a pity that there was nothing more interesting when he was younger. In the end, this was a test of character more than exercise."
