Ramazan Gitinov is finishing up his fight camp ahead of his upcoming bout at Brave CF 82, where he’s been training with two of the best lightweights of all time.
Gitinov, who captured a plethora of amateur titles, including three IMMAF world championships, during a stellar amateur career, is now making waves as a professional, and has been preparing for his upcoming assignment against Prince Lolia at Brave CF 82 in Mauritius.
Gitinov has been training with his team at KHK MMA in Bahrain, where he was joined by two of the team’s biggest graduates, undefeated former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and reigning UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.
Nurmagomedov and Makhachev were original members of the inaugural KHK MMA team, which was formed in 2015 by His Highness Shaikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa. They trained as part of a star-studded lineup that also included Jose Torres, Eldar Eldarov, Frankie Edgar and James Gallagher.
Both men went on to capture world stardom with the UFC, and they have kept close links with the team, returning to the gym to help the careers of the team’s latest cohort of up-and-coming talent.
Included among that group is Gitinov, who has impressed hugely in his four pro fights to date as he has raced to a 4-0 record. And the 27-year-old said he was grateful to share the mats with Khabib and Islam as they have shared their experience with him during his preparation for Brave CF 82.
“Training with Islam and Khabib has been a great pleasure,” he said.
“They are the gold standard in lightweight MMA, and it is an honor to be here.
“Lions train with lions and I want to be at the top just like them. For that to happen, I need to work hard and I cannot wait to show the world what I’ve been working on. See you in Mauritius!”
A sports editor and MMA reporter with 25 years' experience in sports media, Simon has covered mixed martial arts since 2009 for a host of national and international outlets, including UFC, BBC Sport, MMA Junkie/USA Today, BT Sport and the Daily Mirror.