Major honours
Khabib Nurmagomedov brought Eagles MMA together under his own name in 2019, running a dual structure based in Makhachkala, Dagestan, with American camps handled at AKA in San Jose. The organization itself is the youngest on this list, but its roots trace back decades to the freestyle wrestling and combat sambo classes Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, ran in Dagestan. Results came immediately. Islam Makhachev won the UFC lightweight title in 2022 and defended it through two wins over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, while cousin Usman Nurmagomedov became Bellator lightweight champion. Umar Nurmagomedov and Movsar Evloev built unbeaten records at the top of their respective divisions. Every fighter shares a common grammar: relentless cage pressure and a top game that gives an opponent no room.
Record comparison
Bars are scaled to the strongest team in this list.
Club legends
Rivalry
Makhachev's two lightweight title fights against City Kickboxing's Alexander Volkanovski read as a direct confrontation between the Dagestani wrestling school and the southern-hemisphere striking school, and founder Khabib's grudge with SBG Ireland carried through as a shared sentiment for the whole team.