Mais Barkhudarov was born in Kubatly town of Azerbaijan SSR. Since childhood he was fond of wrestling. He was taught by wrestler Aliyar Aliyev, who later participated in the first Karabakh war and became a National Hero of Azerbaijan (posthumously). Events unfolding in those years in Karabakh led Barkhudarov in the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum.