Zavurov attended high school in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, where he began training in freestyle wrestling under Mairbek Yusupov (member of the 1977-78 USSR team who went on to coach Dagestan’s freestyle wrestling team).
[2] He continued working on his martial arts training, taking up Combat Sambo, and also started a family – he is married with two sons and a daughter.
In addition to more than 50 victories in amateur and semi-professional MMA, he has triumphed more than 50 times in Combat Sambo bouts, in the process winning three world championships[4] (2004, 2005, and 2007).
[4] The hardest fight in Zavurov's career was his unanimous decision victory over Seydina Seck[6] in which his arm was broken and he sustained torn ligaments – these injuries still cause him pain.
[2] In fighting in the Eastern European M-1 Welterweight tournament, Zavurov defeated Radik Iboyan[8] with a second round technical knockout and won a hard-fought semi-final against Ramazan Abdulzhalilov[9] that went the full distance.
"[13] Since winning the tournament, Zavurov has compiled four further victories in a single three-week period,[3] against Vladimir Katyihin,[14] Vasily Novikov,[15] Vener Galiev,[16] and Jaroslav Poborsky.
In the event’s second championship bout, Russian Shamil Zavurov edged 2010 World Victory Road welterweight grand prix runner-up Yasubey Enomoto in a five-round affair.
[20] Zavurov was scheduled to rematch his lone defeat as he was to defend his title against Rashid Magomedov at M-1 Challenge XXX on December 9, 2011.
Zavurov faced Chechen super star Khusein Khaliev at WCFA 23 Lightweight Grand Prix on October 4, 2016.
In the opening round, Zavurov faced Leo Kuntz at Road FC 040 on July 15, 2017.
[29] Zavurov faced Nariman Abbasov on September 17, 2021 at AMC Fight Nights: Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament.