"I told them I'm a Muslim" - When Khabib Nurmagomedov turned down clubbing by explaining how alcohol and women make 'weak' athletes
Khabib Nurmagomedov once claimed that drinking alcohol and being caught up on women can make an athlete 'weak'.
Nurmagomedov is widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and decided to hang up his gloves back in 2020 as the UFC lightweight champion. He bowed out of competition with a perfect 29-0 record. He picked up dominant victories over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in three successive title defences.
Back in 2014, prior to his own UFC title success, Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked what he believes it takes for an athlete to reach the top of their game.
The Dagestani native, who is also a Muslim, claimed that distractions such as drinking alcohol and prioritizing women can prevent athletes from hitting their peak. He explained:
“There are fighters in America who can drink on Friday and Saturday...Not the champs but middle-of-the-pack guys, guys like one win, two losses. A couple of times they called me with them to the club. I told them I’m a Muslim. And they were like ‘Come on, we know two Muslims and they visit the clubs with us all the time!’ I have tried to explain them, that a Muslim is not ideal but Islam is. Alcohol and girls stand in a way of an athlete, they spoil him and make him weak.” [H/t prosports.ru]
Coach names one thing he warned Khabib Nurmagomedov about before Conor McGregor grudge match
Javier Mendez has recently revealed the warning he gave to Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of his bout against Conor McGregor.
Nurmagomedov and McGregor's rivarly is one of the most infamous in MMA history, with the build-up to the fight having been bitter and personal. The Dagestani native would go on to ignore the noise, however, submitting the Irishman in the fourth round.
Looking back at the fight, Mendez stated that his biggest concern was McGregor's trash talk. According to the award-winning coach, a major part of their preparation was conditioning Khabib Nurmagomedov's mental strength. He said:
"I told Khabib everyday he's going to come after your family, religion and your country. We talked about that for months leading up to the fight, and sure enough he did what any scumbag fighter would do. If you're a scumbag fighter you come after those things and you shouldn't. Come after the fighter fine, but using country and religion should never be allowed. This is a competition. It's not life or death, but you're making it life of death by bringing in religion and country. I wish fighters would never do that. [H/t LordPing]”