Timur Valiev wants you to appreciate Dagestan for two things: fighting and hospitality.
“The first thing you do in Dagestan is fight,” he said. “You no fight [sic], nobody respect you. And everybody knows how to do everything. You striking with somebody in the street, they will try to take you down. ... Everyone in the cities have cauliflower ears.”
In light of this, the hospitality part might seem a little less intuitive, but the fighting part makes perfect sense, especially for MMA fans.
Valiev is the latest prospect to emerge from the North Caucasus region of Russia, which includes republics like Dagestan and Chechnya and claims top athletes like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Albert Tumenov.
On Saturday, the 26-year-old bantamweight (10-1) will try to make it 5-0 under the World Series of Fighting banner when he faces Chris Gutierrez at WSOF 28.
“Honestly, I think now in the world, [the] best bantamweights are Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw, Thomas Almeida, Marlon Moraes, Bibiano Fernandes,” Valiev said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “I think I am on this level. I just need more fights.”
What sets Valiev apart from his Dagestani colleagues is his combat-sports background. Russian sambo is a common base, but Valiev laid his foundation with wushu, the blended but striking-heavy Chinese martial art popularized on a global level by Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
“I liked the sport really fast,” Valiev said of wushu. “I was training in soccer. I still love that, too, but I wasn’t good in soccer. My friends brought me to a [wushu] championship. I see that, and I knew I could beat them. ... Since I was 16, 17 years old, I never lose.”
One thing led to another. Wushu sanda, the sparring arm of the sport, gave way to kickboxing, then muay thai, then pankration.
Valiev was aware of the UFC early on, and that awareness led to a fairly well-rounded skill set that has served him well thus far. His powerful, pinpoint striking is evident on the feet and the mat, but his clinch and takedown games are also expert. Relatively speaking, he’s not a major submission threat, but his balance and power mean he can typically dictate where and how the fight takes place.
Valiev was listed as MMA's No. 3 overall prospect by The Beaten Path, Bleacher Report MMA's prospect series.
Perhaps his best skill, though, is in between his ears. His fight intelligence has only improved since 2014, when he joined up with New Mexico’s vaunted Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA Academy, home of Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Holly Holm and a host of others.
“It’s a very good atmosphere,” Valiev said of the gym. “It’s very comfortable.”
Comfortable?
In late 2015, head coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn opened a new, $3 million facility in downtown Albuquerque. The space includes apartment and dormitory units for fighters. Valiev has made himself at home in one of its two-bedroom apartments. Also living in the apartments there? Valiev’s friends and fellow North Caucasians Omari Akhmedov and Rustam Khabilov, who helped bring Valiev to Jackson-Wink.
“We have [a] shower, kitchen, laundry room, and we have everything for training,” Valiev said. “We can talk to people from around the world, and downstairs is the gym.”
The seemingly affable Valiev prides himself on being Dagestani. To him, that means being collegial and respectful, and he wishes more people knew that about his homeland.
“The first thing we teach is respect,” he said. “We respect older people, and all people. We need to show that to people. We’re very proud of our hospitality.”
Dagestan might be even prouder of him if he can take care of business Saturday against Gutierrez, a substantial underdog, in the evening’s co-main event. In the WSOF 28 headliner, Moraes defends his bantamweight title against Joseph Barajas.
If both favorites win, would a title bout between Moraes and Valiev be in the offing? Not so fast.
“Marlon Moraes is my brother,” Valiev said. “I lived in his home for a while. We are family.”
Moraes has recently expressed his desire to move to the UFC after this fight. Valiev is hoping that happens, as it would straighten his own road to the WSOF title.
“After this fight, maybe we can sit together and talk,” Valiev said. “After this, I hope this situation is resolved. He needs to fight with Dominick Cruz in the UFC right now.”
As for Saturday, Valiev said he’s ready to keep his momentum rolling.
“Gutierrez is a good prospect, but I need to win [against] this guy, and I need to win convincingly,” he said. “After this, I hope to fight for the title. ... For true [sic], I spar with a lot of guys, and I know I’m good.”
The Beaten Path is Bleacher Report's series on top MMA prospects. For the previous interview in the series, click here. Scott Harris covers MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. All quotes obtained firsthand.
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