Khabib Nurmagomedov will go down as one of the most dominant champions in the history of the UFC. During his career in the promotion, ‘The Eagle’ barely lost a round, let alone a fight. ‘The Eagle’ was moulded in his father’s vision. He began training in combat sambo from a very early age with one goal in mind. The father-son duo wanted to achieve world champion status in sambo as well as MMA. ‘The Eagle’ and his father not only achieved their goals but also surpassed them.
Dana White recently joined three-time Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Julian Edelman on his podcast. During the podcast, Dana White was asked about Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father. White shared his thoughts on Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, saying,
“His dad was his trainer growing up and trained the whole camp and everything else. His dad had a vision that Khabib would be the champion and when Khabib retired, Islam would come in and be the champion. Let me tell you what you want to talk about one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport that is never talked about, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s dad. You think about what that guy built.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s arrival and success in the UFC opened the floodgates for Dagestani as well as Russian fighters into the promotion. Islam Makhachev became the second fighter from their camp to achieve champion status in the UFC.
And it seems as though another champion in the form of Umar Nurmagomedov is not far away. Having two champions from one camp is rare. To begin with, however, a third would further cement Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s legacy.
Dana White shares his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s success
In the podcast, Dana White went on to share his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement. The 54-year-old stated that his father’s passing had a huge role to play in his decision to quit the sport.
However, he hinted that it might have not been the only reason. White went on to state that after he beat Conor McGregor, ‘The Eagle’ became royalty in Muslim countries.
The UFC President stated that ‘The Eagle’ went on a tour of several Muslim countries, where he was showered with cars, money, and gifts. He drew comparisons with Conor McGregor, stating that once you get to that level of financial success, it is difficult to wake up every day wanting to get punched in the face.
