“He Knows Everything”: Umar Nurmagomedov Says Khabib’s Fighting Experience Makes Him a Great Coach

After retiring as an undefeated UFC champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has dedicated himself to guiding the next generation of fighters, helping them live up to his ‘father’s plan’. Ahead of UFC 311, where two of his fighters battle it out in title fights, bantamweight challenger Umar Nurmagomedov has attributed Khabib’s experience as a fighter to his success as a coach and an undefeated cornerman.

Umar, who will be fighting for his first title against Merab Dvalishvili in 8 days, said that along with their striking coach at the American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez, Khabib was doing a fantastic job of preparing them.

“Maybe because he was a fighter, you know, and he know everything inside the game… They are both doing very good, very great, Coach Javier and Khabib. And this duo, it’s amazing.”

Having faced the best in the world himself Khabib understands the unique mental and physical challenges his fighters encounter. From dieting to cutting weight to relentless training ahead of fight night, Khabib had done it over and over again during his 29-0 undefeated campaign.

During the height of his powers, Khabib faced the likes of Conor McGregor, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and others and beat every single one of them. More often than not, he also had to contend with outside noise and pressure from elements that were not in his control.

And yet, somehow once he was locked inside the octagon, it was almost like watching an equation being solved, time and time again. He would take his opponents to the ground, keep them there, and “smash” them. Even accomplished strikers could hardly put a mark on his face during the fights.

He understood how each of these fighters worked. A testament to this preparation was when he fought Poirier and seemingly allowed to get himself into a guillotine. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev swears this was a pre-planned tactic from their camp.

“Before the fight, I swear to god Khabib told me he catch me in guillotine. I have to feel. I will give him my neck and make him tired. And what we did in before the fight.”

Do note, that this must be taken with a huge grain of salt. However, it takes nothing away from his record or legacy.

At UFC 311, Khabib will be looking to keep his undefeated streak as a coach intact when he corners both Umar and Islam. Umar already finds himself embroiled in a high-stakes bout where he not only has to win, but also come out on the right side of the nepotism debate. The bantamweight champion Merab, referring to Umar as a ‘spoilt baby’ has boldly claimed and often that the title shot is courtesy of his last name, not his accomplishments in the sport.

Islam, on the other hand, will be defending his title for the fourth time, as he sits on the verge of becoming the most decorated lightweight of this generation. He will be fighting in a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan. And he too will have something to prove.

When the two first fought in 2019, Arman was only making his debut and still, he had managed to takedown Islam and made him look beatable. Now, 6 years later, his life is coming full circle, and Islam has to ensure that that’s how far destiny is allowed to dictate matters.

So, no wonder, this makes Khabib a little nervous. And Umar has firsthand experience of how Khabib reacts under pressure.

Umar spills the tea on viral choking video

One of the most talked-about moments involving Khabib and Umar came during their brother Usman’s Bellator lightweight title fight. As Usman worked to secure a finish, an overenthusiastic Khabib reached over, grabbed Umar, and started choking him out in excitement, mimicking what they were witnessing in the cage.

Reflecting on the moment, Umar admitted it caught him off guard and said,

“First time I saw like that, it’s never been before.”

However, he also revealed that he didn’t dwell on it too much because his focus was on his brother’s fight. Khabib does tend to get very animated when he is in the corner for fights.

Even when he is with Islam or Umar himself, Khabib is always the loudest person in the arena, banging his hand on the arena floor when he isn’t happy with the way his fighter is performing.