UFC legend lends weight to Dubai real estate company

• Teaming up with DIA Holding
• $70m LuzOra in Dubai Islands
• Latest marketing-led tie-up

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Russian former mixed martial artist, has become the latest high-profile figure to enter Dubai’s real estate sector after partnering with DIA Holding.

The joint venture’s first project, LuzOra, is a $70 million hybrid hotel and residences development on Dubai Islands. According to a statement, 70 percent of the units have been allocated for investors with the remainder left for end-users.

Construction began in October 2025, with completion scheduled for August 2027.

Nurmagomedov, the longest-reigning UFC lightweight champion, holding the title from April 2018 to March 2021, is also expected to contribute to future developments spanning construction and commercial initiatives, including a branded project planned within the next 12 months.

DIA Holding is privately owned with almost $25 million in assets under management. It has 10 subsidiaries spanning the UAE, Kazakhstan and Europe. 

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Dubai’s developers have increasingly turned to celebrity and brand partnerships to differentiate projects and attract global capital. 

Early collaborations involving Giorgio Armani and Donald Trump have paved the way for a broader wave of branded residences and marketing-led tie-ups, including associations with Roberto Cavalli, Shah Rukh Khan and Mercedes-Benz.

The latest contract announcement comes as Dubai Land Department data showed that real estate transactions in the emirate dropped 32 percent between February and March as a result of the Iran conflict.