"Anything can happen" - Khabib Nurmagomedov admits he is "nervous" as Umar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov head into UFC 272
After retiring with a perfect 29-0 MMA record, Khabib Nurmagomedov turned his attention to coaching future MMA stars. Nurmagomedov has been a huge part of Islam Makhachev's rise in the promotion. He will now be in the corner of his highly touted cousin Umar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov at UFC 272. He has admitted that he is nervous ahead of their upcoming bouts.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, 'The Eagle' explained what made him anxious heading into UFC 272:
"A little bit nervous day tomorrow. Tagir has two fights, Umar [has] only one fight [in the UFC]. They need experience, but we think they are ready. But anything can happen. That's why we're a little bit nervous. They have good opponents too, you know? [Brian] Kelleher and Tim Elliott, big experienced opponents, but anyways, this is fight. You're always going to have some risk."
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov talk about Umar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov's UFC 272 bouts below:
Tagir Ulanbekov is currently ranked No.15 in the flyweight division and will hope to earn his third successive win in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Umar Nurmagomedov will look to secure his second straight win in the promotion and potentially break into the bantamweight rankings. Both fighters will be featured on the early-prelims portion of the UFC 272 card.
Khabib Nurmagomedov campaigns for UFC lightweight title shot for Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to have his sights set on becoming one of the best coaches in MMA. Of late, the former 155 lb champion has been focused on taking Islam Makhachev to a lightweight title shot.
Makhachev is coming off an impressive first-round submission finish of Bobby Green, which extended his win streak to 10 victories.
Speaking with ESPN MMA's Megan Olivi, Makhachev revealed that Dana White had told 'The Eagle' that a title shot would be next for him. While the UFC president is yet to confirm the news, a shot at the lightweight crown seems inevitable for the Russian fighter.
Catch Islam Makhachev's full interview with ESPN MMA below: