Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from fighting in 2020, but fans have still seen plenty of the undefeated legend on their TV screens in recent years.
“The Eagle” has been ever-present for the careers of teammates Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov during their rises to the top of their divisions, and he’ll be in their corners this Saturday when Makhachev defends the lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan and Umar challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.
Should Makhachev and Umar be victorious, Khabib can expect to be plenty busy for as long as they reign as champions, but he doesn’t plan to coach forever. When this current crop of Nurmagomedov-trained champions retires, so will Khabib.
“When these guys finish, I’m going to finish,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN. “I hope it’s going to be very fast because I’m tired of all this. We were way on top of this game the last eight years, seven years since I become champion and you can even watch the team record. We almost don’t lose and I’m talking about 25 fighters, 25 professional fighters. We fight, we almost don’t lose, everybody fights around the world everywhere. Japan, Middle East, Europe, U.S., South America. We’re fighting in everywhere in this world, and we almost don’t lose.
“We have so many belts, we have so many champions, in so many different organizations, and all about because of sacrifice. All these guys they were with me, they were with my father when I was beginning. When I finish, a couple of guys with me already finished, there are like six, seven, eight on a very high level, they’re still there. When they finish, I’m going to finish, too.”
In addition to Makhachev and Umar, Khabib has worked extensively with several dominant fighters including undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and recent PFL lightweight tournament winner Gadzhi Rabadanov, who is currently on a 10-fight win streak. Khabib also has a close working relationship with UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
All of this is an extension of the coaching tree established by Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Abdulmanap died in 2020, but Khabib has ably carried on his legacy and now has a greater understanding of his father’s plan.
“When I became coach, I understand how my father was feeling,” Nurmagomedov said. “All his feelings, I understand now because this is a very, very big responsibility. The way how you train, sometimes you have to give guys rest, sometimes you have to push them. You have to stay on balance. Some fighters, they never complain, and you can break them very easily. They don’t even understand where is limits, too. Some fighters, they go until they die. They train, they follow, they do everything, and that’s why they need a coach. You have to be looking at him, like maybe how you don’t have to do this, do this.
“It’s a very, very big responsibility, and I think for this kind of rhythm now I understand him, the way how he was feeling because sometimes you can be very, very straight and very mean person, you have to be sometime, but maybe inside you are not. But you have to be because it’s a very big thing. You have to be straight because of a lot of things and I think for this kind of reason I understand him more when I become coach.”
Given his team’s extraordinary success, Nurmagomedov has little patience for fighters looking to cut corners. He recalled recently having to spell out in no uncertain terms to a gym guest that outside distractions have no place on the championship path.
“I can describe this in one word: all about sacrifice,” Nurmagomedov said. “People talk about discipline, but sometimes discipline is not enough. All about sacrifice.
“A couple of days ago, maybe one week ago, one guy he’s from Mexico, he trained with us. We allowed him to come, we don’t allow anybody come in our team because we have enough sparring partners. You can look at anybody, champion, champion, champion. We don’t need nobody. We have almost 30 killers inside one gym. Why we have to invite some people?
“He comes to me, like, ‘In holidays, I want to go to Mexico.’ And I told him, ‘Brother, Mexico, your family, everybody have to wait if you want to become best in the world. You have to be inside the room.’ Same thing. If you want to become the best, there is no family. If you want to spend time with your family, kids, OK be with them. You’re going to become best family man. I’m not against family people, I just say, if you want to become best in this business, you have to sacrifice. Sacrifice your time, sacrifice your health, and sacrifice everything good you have. Other way, I don’t know. I was in this game not only like coach. But like fighter, too. When people try to talk with me, give me some excuse what they have to do, I just say, this guy, he can be just a regular fighter like thousands and thousands of other people. Just regular fighter. He’s going to make money, he’s going to be good, but he’s never going to be champion.”
