Just like how Cus D’Amato made Mike Tyson, AKA coach Javier Mendez has a lot to do with the success of the Dagestani fighters, from Khabib to Islam to now Umar and Usman. Recently, Mendez got nostalgic about the team and dropped a wholesome post on his social media, reminiscent of the time when King Mo put forth a request to bring some of his friends to the gym.
Exactly 12 years ago, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Mohammad Lawal asked Mendez if he could bring one of his Muslim friends over to AKA.
Mendez simply obliged and said he could bring whoever he wanted and 12 years down the line, AKA now has Khabib, Islam Makhachev, Umar & Usman Nurmagomedov – all reaching great heights in the sport.
Reaching out to thank King Mo, Mendez lauded his fighters (Khabib and Umar in this case) and wrote,
“Combined they have a 65-0 MMA record never in the history of MMA have we had such a dominating family with this kind of record Thank you @kingmofh for introducing me to not just great fighters but a Family.”
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The 53-year-old coach in his post then mentioned the impeccable combined 65-0 record of Khabib, Umar, and Usman, sharing a picture with the three Dagestanis, thanking King Mo for introducing him to them, essentially changing their lives for the better.
In fact, not only did Khabib become an undefeated champion but his close association with Mendez and AKA spread the word about the American gym and brought in more fighters around the world to train under Mendez, ultimately cementing his legacy as one of the best coaches in MMA.
Furthermore, Mendez didn’t miss out on including the iconic catchphrase “father’s plan” subtly paying his respects to Khabib’s late father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Mendez reveals the true essence of the “father’s plan”
When Khabib announced his retirement from the sport in 2020 after his final title defense against Justin Gaethje, his record was 29-0. He beat all of the fighters who the UFC put in front of him including some of the biggest names in the lightweight division, thus leaving an unrivaled legacy that will shine bright for the days to come.
Now, it’s safe to say that it was all part of Khabib’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s visionary plan. In fact, the late Russian grappling coach even had a route map – a list of opponents for Khabib in the UFC.
During an exclusive with Gorilla Fighting, Mendez unveiled the late coach’s visionary plan and explained the iconic phrase, “Father’s plan.” Saying that it wasn’t just grappling like a lot of people think and referring to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov as a genius, he added,
“Father’s plan’ is not grappling…It’s what you have as an advantage over your opponent, that’s ‘father’s plan’. His father was not simple like that, and his father was very complex; he was a genius… It’s about using your best strengths against your opponent’s weaknesses and understanding what they are.”
Mendez elaborated that it wasn’t just about grappling but also about truly understanding the opponent and their vulnerability, using your strengths to effectively seize the moment and exploit the opening.
