Chris Weidman talks about what he thinks kept Khabib Nurmagomedov humble despite his massive success
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman was all praise for MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Speaking to Nurmagomedov's longtime AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) teammate Daniel Cormier, Weidman opined that 'The Eagle' was humble throughout his career.
In a video posted to Cormier's YouTube channel. Weidman notably suggested that Nurmagomedov was one of the rare athletes who stayed humble despite reaching their respective sport's pinnacle. Nevertheless, 'DC' seemingly disagreed. Cormier insinuated that while Nurmagomedov was humble, he did have an edge to his personality that made him the best.
29-0 in MMA
13-0 in UFC
From Nashville to Fight Island, Khabib Nurmagomedov's unstoppable eight-year run through the UFC is officially at an end 🦅
The Eagle retires unmatched and undefeated.
We were lucky to be there for the journey 🙌
https://t.co/cKZGiUnS92
Regardless, Chris Weidman indicated that Khabib Nurmagomedov was always competitive and confident but not to the point where he thought he was unbeatable. 'The All-American' also opined that Nurmagomedov wants to ensure that his friend and longtime training partner -- current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev -- similarly stays humble.
Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) retired in October 2020. Nurmagomedov, who stayed undefeated and notched three UFC lightweight title defenses to his name, often credits the Islamic faith for his success. Discussing the same with Daniel Cormier, Chris Weidman highlighted that Nurmagomedov's faith keeps him humble. Weidman stated:
"Khabib had his Islam faith, his Muslim faith to keep him grounded that whole time. He wasn't drinking. He wasn't looking for girls. He wasn't looking for people to tell him how great he is."
"He stayed humble that whole time, and that's something that -- we really haven't seen [that] in sports. And I think a big part of it was his faith, and his focus on spirituality, which kept him humble even in points in his career where nobody on this planet should be humble."
Watch Weidman address the topic at 4:10 in the video below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov's humble prediction for Islam Makhachev's UFC title reign
The 34-year-old Khabib Nurmagomedov's 31-year-old protege Islam Makhachev happens to be the reigning UFC lightweight kingpin. Speaking of which, Makhachev is scheduled to defend his title in a super-fight against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023.
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov put forth a prediction regarding his friend Islam Makhachev's UFC title reign. Nurmagomedov's assessment subsequently earned him widespread praise for his honesty and humility.
'The Eagle' foresees Islam Makhachev likely defending his title only five/six times. He alluded that the Almighty has created humans as such that they go from being young and strong to inevitably growing old and weak. Nurmagomedov said:
“I think he needs at least five; maybe six, that would be ideal. Six defenses, that’s six fights and three years. Then it’s possible that the sport leaves him because nobody can stay on top forever."
Watch Nurmagomedov's assessment below: