Khabib Nurmagomedov gives immediate reaction to cousin Usman Nurmagomedov's Bellator title defense
At Bellator Champions Series San Diego, Khabib Nurmagomedov cornered his cousin to success. During the post-fight interview for the Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexandr Shabliy bout, 'The Eagle' was given a moment to express his thoughts on the evening's main event.
The retired MMA great, who once reigned as the UFC lightweight champion, was full of praise for his cousin, whose unanimous decision win in the second defense of his Bellator lightweight title moved him to 18-0. Moreover, the legendary Nurmagomedov opined that his cousin has become part of what is now a Dagestani dynasty.
'The Eagle' stated:
"Sometimes when you're growing, you're 26 and you fight with somebody who is 32? They both on prime, but 32 is much better than 26. And if you beat him, you jump on different level, and I think Usman is, right now, one of the best lightweights in the world. I was before, now it's our brother Islam [Makhachev], and Usman is next. This is dynasty. I think many, many years [from now], people are going to talk [about us]."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov praising Usman Nurmagomedov:
The dynasty that 'The Eagle' is referring to is owed largely to the combined knowledge of the American Kickboxing Academy's Javier Mendez and the late great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. A trio of world champions from Dagestan was produced under their tutelage.
Khabib reigned supreme as the UFC lightweight champion before retiring undefeated, while Usman currently reigns as the Bellator lightweight champion. Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev has assumed the throne that 'The Eagle' once sat on in the UFC lightweight division.
Khabib Nurmagomedov also praised his cousin before the fight
Ahead of Bellator Champions Series San Diego, Khabib Nurmagomedov took part in a promotional package for the promotion. He praised his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov as a representative of the next generation of elite MMA fighters.
"Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport. Usman is a young generation [fighter] from our gym. Him and me, we was trained by my father. Now, I train him, and we spend years and years together in gym, more than 15 years. He always was such a competitor. That's why he's still undefeated, that's why he's the Bellator lightweight champion. He defend his title, and next fight he will show, he will prove why he's one of the best in the world right now."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's pre-fight praise for his cousin:
Ultimately, Khabib was correct, as Usman successfully defended his title in a unanimous decision win over Alexandr Shabliy.