It is well known that whatever Khabib Nurmagomedov has achieved is credited to his late father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. After the passing of the great Abdulmanap, ‘The Eagle’ took care to protect his father’s legacy. Khabib retired soon after his father’s death and began coaching talents like Islam Makhachev, applying the same principles his father instilled. Recently, on Instagram, Nurmagomedov shared a post showcasing the MMA academy and a quote his father lived his life by.
In the picture, Nurmagomedov is alongside many of his teammates and coaching staff, where there is a quote on the wall in Russian script that roughly translates to ‘Upbringing, Education, Sports.’ In the caption, he stated how his father lived his entire life working towards the same quote. True to his words, he has built a great sports atmosphere in his region.
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Meanwhile, it seems like Nurmagomedov is also following the same philosophy as his father, who lived his life by certain principles. Although now retired, Khabib is often spotted training with The Eagle camp.
Regarding his father, it’s interesting to note that despite Khabib’s numerous achievements, his father initially believed that his elder brother was more capable than him.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Father Initially Saw Elder Brother as More Capable
While, fight fans think the undefeated 29-0 fighter has achieved so much and he is now the pride of Dagestan but in childhood it was not the case. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in a throwback clip on Yuka MMA, admitted another family member was more talented than Khabib during his childhood. As per his father,
“Absolutely not. My eldest son was much more capable and smarter in studies as well. Khabib knows only three languages, his brother knows six. Khabib did two workouts, his brother did three. At a certain stage, he got tired of it. He was engaged in freestyle wrestling. It all depends on the person.”
However, contrary to his father’s initial belief, Nurmagomedov stood up as one of the biggest and most respected athletes in the world. While the undefeated fighter stuck to his rigorous training, his elder brother, Magomed, left. It would have been a question with guesswork only if he would have continued, would he have surpassed Khabib’s legacy.
