I was rugby starlet before Google search made me love MMA – now I’m making PFL debut
Haider Khan couldn’t have imagined a Google search into the lives of two UFC stars would get him to this point. Khan makes his debut for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) on Saturday, having transitioned from potential rugby league star to professional MMA as an 18-year-old. Khan has won eight of his nine professional MMA boutsPFL The 25-year-old features on the undercard of arguably the PFL’ s biggest event to date this Saturday as two nations collide in MMA’s first-ever event in Dubai. Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of the iconic Khabib Nurmagomedov, takes on Ireland’s rising star Paul Hughes in the main event. The event has been billed as ‘Dagestan vs Ireland 2’, as the circumstances of the headline act scarily resemble those of Conor McGregor vs Khabib, which took place in 2018. Khan faces Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Rashed Nada to kick off the spectacle in Dubai – a scenario that would’ve been hard to come to terms with only seven years ago. “I grew up playing rugby league,” Khan told talkSPORT.com. “Oldham is a town that has quite strong roots into rugby league and we’ve had a few legends like former England captain Kevin Sinfield. “I played for years, but when I was growing up, my family members all loved boxing, combat sports. “They used to talk about fighters like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre. “So I got interested, started to Google it, loved it, and then eventually I moved into MMA when I just decided I didn’t love rugby anymore. “I was just good at rugby. That’s what I basically have said. Like I never used to watch it that much. I was just good at playing it. I used to prefer football actually to watch. That’s how it happened.” Khan will compete on the undercard of Nurmagomedov vs Hughes this SaturdayPFL Haider Khan's journey to the PFL Timeline Born and raised in Glodwick estate, Oldham Played for Wigan Warriors academy aged 13 Studied Politics and International Relations at university Started training MMA ages 18 after Googling Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre Made pro MMA debut in July 2021 Won first four bouts of MMA career Debuted for Full Contact Contender league, funded by UFC Fight Pass, in 2024 Became first British Pakistani MMA world champion in June last year Makes PFL debut January 25 on Road to Dubai Champions Series Khan became the first British Pakistani MMA world champion in June when he defeated Luis Carlos Alves under the Full Contact Contender (FCC) banner. He was crowned the middleweight world champion in the promotion, which is funded by UFC Fight Pass – a streaming service owned by Dana White‘s UFC. “Yeah, obviously it’s a bigger stage, so we’ve stepped up a different level on all aspects,” Khan added, speaking on the transition from FCC to the PFL. “From training, nutrition, strength and conditioning, everything’s been stepped up. “I spent two weeks by myself in Dubai over Christmas to get used to the weather and train with some of the guys on the card. “So we’ve been stepping up in all areas.” PFLKhan said he’s stepped up everything in his training[/caption] But doesn’t forget what made him the fighter he is todayPFL The global stage Khan has been preparing for hasn’t just been about stepping up his training; it also involved a cultural shift, where he understood the weight of his place in history. As the spearhead of British Pakistani fighters in MMA, Khan carries with him the hopes of a community that has often been underrepresented in mainstream sports. His heritage and upbringing in Oldham’s close-knit Pakistani community are central to his drive. “We all look out for each other,” Khan concluded. “When I was growing up, my grandma always instilled our family’s traditional values in terms of the community aspects and how we look after each other as a family. “To be honest, on the MMA scene, when I was coming through, there wasn’t anybody to look up to who was Pakistani doing it at that level, especially in the British scene. “And now, thankfully, I’ve broken down that barrier, and I think it’s something that we should keep on breaking. “Then we’re opening up doors for other people to walk through and hopefully make names for themselves as well. “It’s not always the most talented man that makes it to the top. But sometimes it is the guy that just kept going and worked hard and can become a world champion.” Khan went on to credit his father, who had him as a 21-year-old, for showing him how hard he needed to work in life to achieve his goals. He also credited his mum for instilling a similar mindset that means he never gives up in training and always gives 100 per cent. Although Khan didn’t rule out an eventual switch to the UFC, his focus doesn’t go past this year and his next fight. His contract has fou
Haider Khan couldn’t have imagined a Google search into the lives of two UFC stars would get him to this point.
Khan makes his debut for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) on Saturday, having transitioned from potential rugby league star to professional MMA as an 18-year-old.
The 25-year-old features on the undercard of arguably the PFL’ s biggest event to date this Saturday as two nations collide in MMA’s first-ever event in Dubai.
Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of the iconic Khabib Nurmagomedov, takes on Ireland’s rising star Paul Hughes in the main event.
The event has been billed as ‘Dagestan vs Ireland 2’, as the circumstances of the headline act scarily resemble those of Conor McGregor vs Khabib, which took place in 2018.
Khan faces Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Rashed Nada to kick off the spectacle in Dubai – a scenario that would’ve been hard to come to terms with only seven years ago.
“I grew up playing rugby league,” Khan told talkSPORT.com.
“Oldham is a town that has quite strong roots into rugby league and we’ve had a few legends like former England captain Kevin Sinfield.
“I played for years, but when I was growing up, my family members all loved boxing, combat sports.
“They used to talk about fighters like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.
“So I got interested, started to Google it, loved it, and then eventually I moved into MMA when I just decided I didn’t love rugby anymore.
“I was just good at rugby. That’s what I basically have said. Like I never used to watch it that much. I was just good at playing it. I used to prefer football actually to watch. That’s how it happened.”
Haider Khan's journey to the PFL
Timeline
- Born and raised in Glodwick estate, Oldham
- Played for Wigan Warriors academy aged 13
- Studied Politics and International Relations at university
- Started training MMA ages 18 after Googling Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre
- Made pro MMA debut in July 2021
- Won first four bouts of MMA career
- Debuted for Full Contact Contender league, funded by UFC Fight Pass, in 2024
- Became first British Pakistani MMA world champion in June last year
- Makes PFL debut January 25 on Road to Dubai Champions Series
Khan became the first British Pakistani MMA world champion in June when he defeated Luis Carlos Alves under the Full Contact Contender (FCC) banner.
He was crowned the middleweight world champion in the promotion, which is funded by UFC Fight Pass – a streaming service owned by Dana White‘s UFC.
“Yeah, obviously it’s a bigger stage, so we’ve stepped up a different level on all aspects,” Khan added, speaking on the transition from FCC to the PFL.
“From training, nutrition, strength and conditioning, everything’s been stepped up.
“I spent two weeks by myself in Dubai over Christmas to get used to the weather and train with some of the guys on the card.
“So we’ve been stepping up in all areas.”
The global stage Khan has been preparing for hasn’t just been about stepping up his training; it also involved a cultural shift, where he understood the weight of his place in history.
As the spearhead of British Pakistani fighters in MMA, Khan carries with him the hopes of a community that has often been underrepresented in mainstream sports.
His heritage and upbringing in Oldham’s close-knit Pakistani community are central to his drive.
“We all look out for each other,” Khan concluded.
“When I was growing up, my grandma always instilled our family’s traditional values in terms of the community aspects and how we look after each other as a family.
“To be honest, on the MMA scene, when I was coming through, there wasn’t anybody to look up to who was Pakistani doing it at that level, especially in the British scene.
“And now, thankfully, I’ve broken down that barrier, and I think it’s something that we should keep on breaking.
“Then we’re opening up doors for other people to walk through and hopefully make names for themselves as well.
“It’s not always the most talented man that makes it to the top. But sometimes it is the guy that just kept going and worked hard and can become a world champion.”
Khan went on to credit his father, who had him as a 21-year-old, for showing him how hard he needed to work in life to achieve his goals.
He also credited his mum for instilling a similar mindset that means he never gives up in training and always gives 100 per cent.
Although Khan didn’t rule out an eventual switch to the UFC, his focus doesn’t go past this year and his next fight.
His contract has four fights in 2025 and he, ‘obviously’ plans on winning all four.
Then, he wants to move on to the PFL’s middleweight tournament and win it for ‘a nice little pay day’, before re-evaluating his next steps.
Road to Dubai Champions Series: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes is free on DAZN to subscribers.
