Khabib Nurmagomedov will go down as one of the most dominant wrestlers the UFC has ever seen. ‘The Eagle’ dominated every single opponent he ever faced thanks to his wrestling and his ability to keep his opponents pinned to the mat. While his father played a key role in developing him as a wrestler, Daniel Cormier also played a significant role according to his recent YouTube video.
Cormier in a recent video discussed a number of different topics with Ben Askren. ‘DC’ went on to explain how he helped out Nurmagomedov early on in his career. In the video he said,
“So Khabib and them knew how to ride the wrist ride stuff a little bit. What we did was, I was showing him just collegiate wrestling… so when I first got to AKA and when I first started coaching, I would run all the wrestling practices. So Ben I taught these guys how to wrestle.”
Cormier went on to add how knowing fundamentals in collegiate wrestling was key to being a good MMA fighter. ‘DC’ then went on to reveal the exact techniques he taught ‘The Eagle’ and the other fighters from Dagestan. He said,
“I taught them standup, I taught them referee’s position, I taught them how to chop and ride. I taught them all those base collegiate skills. Because my belief is, if you want to wrestle in mixed martial arts, you better learn to wrestle because otherwise you don’t apply it very well.”
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at what made ‘The Eagle’ unstoppable in the cage.
A closer look at Khabib Nurmagomedov and his wrestling abilities
While there have been several talented wrestlers that have fought in the UFC, none have been as dominant as ‘The Eagle’. What makes Nurmagomedov stand out is his ability to keep going. If he was unsuccessful on his first takedown, Nurmagomedov would keep trying it until he got it. ‘The Eagle’ did not get discouraged and sticked to what he knew best, wrestling. The fact that Nurmagomedov had a never ending gas tank allowed him to pursue this style of wrestling without being worried of getting tired.
Another key factor that has helped in Nurmagomedov’s success in the UFC is his wrist control. The former champion always managed to keep his opponent’s wrist under his control all the time. This deterred them from being able to get up off the canvas and onto their feet. ‘The Eagle’ had immense raw talent. However, fine tuning by the likes of Daniel Cormier and Javier Mendez among others at AKA turned ‘The Eagle’ into a finished product.
