During his stint as UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov ruled the sport. He established himself as a brand and paved the way for many other young Russian MMA competitors to join the organization. He currently owns and operates the Eagle Fighting Championship MMA promotion and training certain fighters who compete in the UFC.
Under the tutelage of the UFC Hall of Famer, Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and a few more promising prospects train. They all feature the same fighting technique that Nurmagomedov made renowned during his undefeated record.
Belal Muhammad, a welterweight fighter in the UFC, was recently asked about his training with ‘The Eagle.’ Nurmagomedov’s humility, the way he holds himself, and how he coaches other fighters earned him nothing but love and respect.
Muhammad stated this on the most recent episode of the AbzTalks podcast:
“Honestly it was amazing. I was there for… um… 10 days down there with him and his team and… you know, like he’s such an icon, such a huge mentor for any Muslim fighter. If you’re a fighter or if you’re a Muslim in general, just to see that the way he holds himself, the whole way that the world sees him as such a humble guy, and like he’s truly that even in person.”
He then turned his attention to his training sessions with the “GOAT,” referring to Nurmagomedov as the “Michael Jordan of MMA.”
“Being able to actually train and move and learn from him was even better too because you’re learning from the GOAT. You’re learning from the Michael Jordan of the sport… Imagine if like these younger basketball players got to play with Michael Jordan in his prime. Khabib’ still in his prime, it’s not like he fell off or anything like that,” said Muhammad.
He also lauded the intense training and tough demeanor of Dagestani fighters, while dismissing ‘The Eagle’ as “not the nicest coach.”
He added, “He [Khabib Nurmagomedov] is a beast, so I got to roll with him, got to train with him, and get under his coaching where you know he’s not the nicest coach. So it’s good just to see how those guys train because all those guys, the Dagestani guys, they’re all monsters, they’re all beasts.”
Before his UFC Vegas 21 bout against Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammad had a 10-day training camp with Khabib Nurmagomedov and his staff.
Joe Rogan Hails Khabib Nurmagomedov as the “GOAT”
Joe Rogan has long been a fan of the UFC. He has witnessed many of the sport’s finest competitors in action. He also broadcasts the Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast in which he and his guests discuss various issues, including UFC.
During a recent episode of JRE, Rogan was talking about UFC fighters from Russia. He praised them for their physical power. He mentioned Khamzat Chimaev, a prominent welterweight prospect, and dubbed him “one of the top fighters” in the business.
He also highlighted Khabib Nurmagomedov, jokingly referring to him as the “GOAT.”
Rogan said, “One of the top guys right now is from Chechnya, this guy Khamzat Chimaev.” “There’s obviously Khabib, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s the G.O.A.T, he’s from Dagestan,” he added.
In 2020, Nurmagomedov completed his MMA career with a perfect 29-0 record. He was honoured into the UFC Hall of Fame — Modern Wing at UFC 272: Colby Covington vs Jorge Masvidal.
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