Former UFC champ Daniel Cormier believes one of the keys to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s success—and that of his team—lies in their unwavering devotion to their religion. Known for being devout Muslims, Khabib and his team have mastered the art of avoiding distractions that can derail others in the fight game.
Cormier asserts that their focus on faith allows them to prioritize excellence in their sport above all else and stay disciplined both inside and outside the octagon. In a nutshell, MMA is not training for them. It’s a lifestyle that aligns with their values and keeps them on the path to greatness.
While in conversation with Chael Sonnen, Cormier, who probably knows the Dagestani camp better than anyone else out there, explained how being religious helps them succeed inside the octagon. Possibly referring to alcohol and other distractions, Cormer states that being Muslims, Khabib and his teammates abstain from what others would have lunged at from a very young age.
“These guys their mentality too, it’s so different. Chael, they are so devout in their religion… There are things that you and I ran to as middle schoolers, while still trying to be good at sports. These guys have none of these distractions, that allows for them to be great in my opinion.”
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Khabib, Islam, and others in their camp were trained in combat sambo and wrestling by the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Islam has even admitted that in Dagestan, they all practice wrestling from a very young age. Of course, it’s true of the USA as well.
But Dagestan, being a Muslim-dominated republic doesn’t allow the sale and consumption of alcohol. Being a conservative country, there’s not exactly a partying culture to speak of as well.
Besides, the republic is obsessed with wrestling and now thanks to fighters like Khabib and Islam, they all want to be mixed martial artists as well.
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However, Islam’s opponent for UFC 311 believes none of this matters since he knows a few ways to expose Islam.
Tsarukyan’s game plan
The two have faced off before, with Tsarukyan losing a close decision to Makhachev in 2019 on short notice. But since then, Tsarukyan has gone 9-1 in the UFC and is riding a four-fight win streak, including a victory over former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.
Despite many experts claiming that there is still a visible skill gap between Islam and him, Arman believes the champion has a few weaknesses nobody has taken advantage of yet.
“His condition is not the best. So when he fights with a guy who wrestles, when it’s going to be difficult to take down someone, you’re going to waste energy. And his boxing is better than his kicks. I feel like my kicks are way better than his… I know how I can beat him and I’ll go there and just feel my hands’ power.”
Confident in his evolution as a fighter, Tsarukyan is ready to showcase the “new version” of himself and seize the belt in the UFC 311 main event.
