The UFC community may not have witnessed anyone with a better ground game than Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has been training since a very young age to master the art of grappling. Hence, it’s quite apparent that Nurmagomedov possesses a thorough knowledge of the dos and don’ts of grappling. A old video showcased an instance of ‘The Eagle’ along with Usman Nurmagomedov teaching what the young trainees should never allow their rivals to get hold of.
Fans have often called Khabib a one-dimensional fighter who relied on his ground game to win fights. Still, none of his rivals could find a way to get the better of him in his entire pro-MMA career. In the video, ‘The Eagle’ gave out only a glimpse of his immense knowledge about grappling. He demonstrated by holding Usman’s wrists, how a grappling competitor should never allow his opponent to take control of his wrists. He also laid stress on how it was better to “go home” if someone failed in this.
The former UFC lightweight kingpin said:
“You cannot give your opponent’s this [your wrists]. This is very bad. If someone take control of your wrist, you like, OK, you have to go home and never come out. You understand?”
Well, Khabib has and will continue to inspire a lot of young aspiring fighters with his teachings even if fans neglect this video. A lot of his fans were severely disappointed after Nurmagomedov decided to declare his return following his father’s demise. However, his coach, Javier Mendez, recently revealed another issue that might have prompted Khabib to declare his retirement.
Javier Mendez saw the decreasing agility of Khabib Nurmagomedov as a factor propelling him to retirement
UFC lightweights are generally pretty swift in their movements. Only Conor McGregor publically calls himself ‘McGregor Fast’. But the story is pretty much the same for every UFC lightweight. Being at the top of a division with such agile fighters would have required ‘The Eagle’ to keep up the agility of his initial days in the UFC. But, in a recent episode of his podcast, Javier Mendez revealed that this is where Khabib was failing to keep up.
Well, it’s a universal fact that time will get the better of every human, whether it’s Khabib Nurmagomedov or just any other person. Hence, his decision may have shocked UFC fans severely. But, if Mendez’s words are true, continuing in the UFC could have led to a blemish on Nurmagomedov’s undefeated pro-MMA record.
