If you spend any time on TikTok or are interested in martial arts, you will have come across a video of Hasbulla Magomedov. Rising to fame as an international phenomenon, acknowledged by MMA stars and journalists across the world, Hasbulla has taken the internet by storm.
But who really is he, and how has he become so famous? Read on to find out all you need to know about “Mini Khabib”!
Who is Hasbulla?
Hasbulla Magomedov was born in Dagestan, Russia in 2003 and is 20 years old. Despite his age, he is known for his babyface, high-pitched voice and his child-like height. Hasbulla suffers from Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), which is a distinctive kind of dwarfism, accounting for his unusual looks.
Studies show that those who suffer from GHD may have a decreased life expectancy and as a result the Dagestan native might die as young as 41 or live to be 81.
How he became famous
Despite being just 3ft 4 inches in height, Hasbulla became famous online due to his larger-than-life personality. He started posting his life to Instagram and TikTok during the height of the pandemic. His early posts showed his hot-headed temperament and his martial arts training, including boxing and wrestling.
Hasbulla has shown off his extreme charisma and trash-talking skills during his pre-fight conference with a popular 18-year-old Tajikistan singer Abdu Rozik, even calling out the likes of the former UFC champion Conor McGregor. With the help of his manager Asxab Tamaev, his popularity peaked in May 2021 and was suspended from Instagram in December 2021.
Mini Khabib
Hasbulla earned his nickname, the “Mini Khabib” after reenacting Khabib Nurmagomedov’s iconic UFC 229 weigh-in and posting it on social media. The two have struck up a friendship and often appear in social media videos together. This close relationship and their somewhat familiar looks have prompted many to assume that the two are related but this is not the case.
Backlash
Not unusually, Hasbulla’s fame came with a high dose of backlash. His social media performances, as well as his MMA ventures, have been dismissed by many as cheap publicity stunts, based on insensitivity towards issues faced by other dwarfism sufferers. The backlash came from ordinary social media users and organizations alike. His performances and actions have been branded “unethical”.
The thoughts of many have been summed up by the Head of the Russian Dwarf Athletic Association, Uliana Podpalnaya, commenting on the planned MMA fight: “It’s not even like a show fight – they get paid a lot of money and it’s a show to make people laugh There’s nothing serious about this, this isn’t sport. This is unethical, wrong, from my point of view.”
It has been pointed out that since the actual fight between Hasbulla and Rozik hasn’t happened yet, this comment might very well be true.
Hasbulla Net Worth
Despite the backlash, Hasbulla hasn’t stopped making waves on social media and in the MMA world. Showing off his luxurious life, it’s estimated that Hasbulla has an estimated net worth of $200,000. If the fight with Abdu Rozik is to go ahead, this figure can be expected to increase. Only time can tell how the career of Hasbulla will develop.
