Over the last decade, the UFC has had a huge influx of talent from Dagestan. This is mainly due to the success that Khabib Nurmagomedov has achieved in the sport. His success opened the doors for his fellow Dagestanis. However, one man remains constant behind the success of all the fighters from Dagestan. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s father, played a huge role in training the likes of Khabib, Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman, and Islam from a young age.
Despite being almost four years since his passing, Khabib and his team are still learning to cope with the loss. Umar even interestingly honored his former coach to show his love.
In a press conference before a fight, Umar Nurmagomedov was asked about his decision to name his kid after his late uncle. The bantamweight star named his child Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in homage to his coach and uncle, who passed away earlier that year. When asked about it he said,
“Yes, my father chose this name. He said I am going to give him my uncle’s name. You know, Abdulmanap.”
Umar gets emotional talking about his son, Abdulmanap.
He was named after the great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the greatest coach to ever live. ☝@UNmgdv pic.twitter.com/s7xj795z8l
— MMA CHICK♀️ (@MMACHICK_) February 26, 2024
‘The Eagle’ famously stated that growing up as a child, he was thrust into combat sports pretty early on. Growing up, ‘The Eagle’ trained every day alongside his cousins and other members of his team.
All the fighters at Eagle’s MMA were molded in Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s image. What is more impressive is that apart from being excellent mixed martial artists, a lot of Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s father’s students are role models for aspiring mixed martial artists, given how they carry themselves.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s importance in the UFC can not be stressed enough. So far, he has trained two champions in the UFC with a third potentially on the way. Outside the UFC, his students have achieved world champion status in many organizations.
Umar Nurmagomedov to make it three champions?
During his days in the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov always had a clear vision of what he wanted from his team. He stated on multiple occasions that once he was done fighting, Islam Makhachev would become the lightweight champion.
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He also stated that the third champion from their team would be Umar Nurmagomedov, who currently fights in the bantamweight division. Umar is currently ranked 13th in the division and takes on Bekzat Almakhan this weekend. A win would propel him into the top 10 at 135 pounds in the UFC. After that, Umar is just a win or two away from challenging for the UFC bantamweight belt.
