"I sensed greatness, but I wasn't 100% sure" - Coach Javier Mendez reveals how Khabib Nurmagomedov used to be in his earliest days of training
Coach Javier Mendez recalled the earliest days of training his star pupil Khabib Nurmagomedov at the American Kickboxing. 'The Eagle' started training at AKA back in 2012, and developed a deep bond with the head coach, Mendez, who took him under his wing.
The Dagestani holds Mendez to the highest regard and views him as a father-figure.
Khabib Nurmagomedov posted a video on his YouTube channel as a prelude to an upcoming series that will take a deep dive into his life, beyond his fighting career and what he hopes to achieve as a coach, friend and businessman.
Javier Mendez recalled a funny misunderstanding from the early days of training that created a lasting memory in his head:
''When I first met Khabib, I sensed greatness, but I wasn't 100% sure of how far he would go because I didn't think he listened well. Because I used to tell him relax, relax and he would go harder.''
Mendez added that it wasn't Nurmagomedov's inattentiveness but a language barrier that made him go hard:
''It wasn't until a few fights, or maybe it was a fight later, Khabib goes, 'Coach, I didn't understand when you used to say to relax. I thought you meant going harder.'''
Watch the video below:
Javier Mendez talks about Khabib Nurmagomedov's transition to coaching and how he struggled in his first fight a a coach
Former UFC lightweight champion and 2022 modern wing Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov has transitioned to the role of a coach after he retired from the sport. Nurmagomedov carried an entire nation with him and put his hometown of Dagestan on the map through his unprecedented legacy.
However, the move to coaching has had its fair share of struggles. Luckily for 'The Eagle', he had his coach Javier Mendez show him the ropes. Mendez recalled Nurmagomedov's first time coaching alongside him and said:
''When we worked the first corner together, and we go in there and he's like blah blah blah blah blah.......And I didn't get a word in. And after the fight he goes, ''Coach, how did I do?'' I said, ''Well you did okay, except you didn't let me talk. I didn't get to say anything.''
Mendez is proud that the 33-year-old is growing every day as a coach. Nurmagomedov will be in the corner of his longtime training partner Islam Makhachev when he faces Charles Oliveira for the lightweight championship at UFC 280.