Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to coach two of his best fighters, Umar Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, at UFC 311. Both are high-octane title fights, and the tensions are running high. While fans have high expectations of the ‘Eagle’ as a coach, it is not something that he wants to do.
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently went viral for his statement regarding his displeasure with being a coach. The Dagestani disclosed that he doesn’t like coaching but feels the necessity of guiding his team. UFC veteran Chael Sonnen recently talked about it on his YouTube channel and shared his own perspective.
I wonder what he meant when he says I don’t like doing it (coaching). Does it mean with his time or does it mean with the emotional investment that he has in the guys and the emotion you feel, being in that corner.
Chael Sonnen via his YouTube channel
Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the best fighters to ever step foot inside the UFC octagon. The ‘Eagle’ has never lost a fight and had three lightweight title defenses. However, he had a premature retirement and now has shifted into a full-time coach for his teammates.
These teammates were previously trained under Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. As a result, after his father’s passing, Khabib tried his best to take the position of a mentor for his teammates. He was momentarily away from the MMA limelight but is now back with the Dagestani camp.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach talks about his new role
Since his childhood, Khabib Nurmagomedov trained under his father and perfected his wrestling capabilities. However, he joined AKA Gym to develop his striking skills under Javier Mendez. With time, he brought all his cousins to AKA and formed an atmosphere to create a champion mindset.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez (via X)Mendez has been a part of Team Khabib for a long time and knows all of them closely. However, with Nurmagomedov taking over the managerial role, Mendez has found himself in the back seat. Recently, the legendary coach talked about the same.
I’m kinda taking the role of a mentor. Looking at Khabib and let him run everything cause he’s been basically running the whole team for a little while now. I come in, I help him here and there. It’s like I’m the head coach but I’m not the head coach. You got let somebody else take the control and he’s perfectly capable of doing a great job.
Javier Mendez via Halen Yee Sports
Ahead of UFC 311, Mendez is confident about Islam Makhachev‘s and Umar Nurmagomedov’s chances against their opponents. While the pound-for-pound king will defend his title, the bantamweight will try to win the championship. It would be interesting to see whether Team Khabib manages to go home with both titles on 19 January.
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