"Legendary father lives through us" - Javier Mendez remembers late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov while coaching with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Javier Mendez took to Instagram to pay homage to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
'The Eagle' can be seen alongside Mendez coaching other fighters at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) gym. According to Mendez, that was what Nurmagomedov's father always wanted. Here's what the AKA head coach wrote:
"Fathers plan style of Coaching 🦅🦅🐐 @khabib_nurmagomedov legendary Father lives through us #legendstylecoaching"
See the Instagram post from Javier Mendez below:
Many prominent fighters like Edmen Shahbazyan, Belal Muhammad, Umar Nurmagomedov, and more can be seen standing in the photo as they receive instructions from 'The Eagle' and Mendez.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in 2020 after a lengthy battle with COVID-19. 'The Eagle' was immensely affected by the loss. In fact, he decided to retire from the octagon following his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, as he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Watch Nurmagomedov announce his retirement after UFC 254:
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was always a major part of his son's fight camps. Without the support of his father, it just wasn't worth it for the undefeated Dagestani fighter to continue competing in MMA. For a family man like the former lightweight champion, it was too big a loss to cope with.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was influenced by his father to become an MMA fighter. He is often praised by fans for his character and humility, which is a reflection of how he was raised by his father.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is making a mark as a coach too
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been actively acting as a coach for his fellow fighters at the AKA gym since his retirement. Whenever a teammate has a fight in any promotion, Nurmagomedov can be seen cornering them. His record as a coach is also quite impressive.
He retired from the sport with an unblemished record of 29-0. 'The Eagle' has only one loss in his coaching career so far.
Watch the video of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev's relationship below:
One can expect Khabib Nurmagomedov to be back in a coaching role this weekend as well. His longtime training partner and friend, Islam Makhachev, is in action. Makhachev is looking to solidify his position as the next lightweight title challenger when he takes on Bobby Green in the main event of UFC Vegas 49.