The Caucasus are a region of clustered, mountainous terrain with a massive diversity of cultures and languages that has basically been through hell and back over the course of human history. From foreign monarchs looking to expand their empires to tribal in-fighting and religious wars, the region has a great deal of experience with warfare of all kinds. It should come as no surprise then, to find out that the Caucasus produce some of the greatest combat sports athletes and overall warriors on the planet.
Nestled in the forested peaks and reaching treacherous heights, the small but fierce nation of Dagestan remains the most fascinating case study from a martial arts perspective as it has produced several champions including freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist and consensus pound-for-pound wrestling great Abdulrashid Sadualev and the current champion of the UFC’s lightweight division, the undefeated Muslim warrior with a seeminly indomidable spirit, Khabib Nermagomedov.
What this episode seeks to explore is how the region of Dagestan produces so many world-class combat sports athletes to the point where fighters from all over the world are travelling there to learn martial arts. Thanks to Khabib’s dominance in the UFC, a lot of interest has been sparked in his homeland and for good reason. As we take a closer look, you’ll see just how the Dagestani culture is tailor-made to produce the types of fighters who possess both an iron will and a work ethic in training that almost no one can keep up with.
Intro music by Snyker
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