"I can give him energy" - Khabib Nurmagomedov on cornering Saygid Izagakhmaev in his ONE Championship debut
Khabib Nurmagomedov will corner Saygid Izagakhmaev in his ONE Championship debut against James Nakashima at ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters. The event will take place on January 14 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Nurmagomedov opined that his vast amount of MMA knowledge will help his protege succeed:
"I think this is good for him. I have so much knowledge, and I can share that with him. I can give him good energy, I can motivate him, give him good knowledge because I know a lot of things in MMA. And I think I can give him good advice."
The Dagestani last cornered Izagakhmaev during a cross promotion event between AMC and Eagle FC in honor of his late father in September 2021. Izagakhmaev beat Maxim Butorin with a rear-naked choke in the second round, taking his overall record to an impressive 19-2.
Khabib Nurmagomedov feels that his presence gives the 27-year-old Russian fighter "good energy":
"Even last time, when I was cornering him, when Islam [Makhachev] and I were cornering him, he said there was a very good energy because of us. It’s all about energy. Some people give you energy, some people take your energy. I believe I can give him energy."
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov's interview with ONE Championship below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov advises Saygid Izagakhmaev to take it one fight at a time
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been giving Saygid Izagakhmaev pointers on how to be successful in his MMA career. Among them is living in the present and focusing on the fight in front of him before calling out any other fighter.
During the same interview, 'The Eagle' hailed Nakashima as a good opponent and not someone he is underestimating:
"Nakashima is a very good fighter. I watched a couple of his fights. He has good wrestling, but I don’t think Nakashima can control [Saygid] in wrestling... We don’t underestimate Nakashima and talk about what’s next for him [Izagakhmaev]. Let’s finish with him, and then we can talk."
Khabib Nurmagomedov finished his MMA career with an unblemished 29-0 professional record. His final fight was a successful lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020. In a dominating performance, Nurmagomedov submitted 'The Highlight' in the second round.
He currently owns MMA promotion Eagle FC, which will make its American debut on January 28 in Miami, Florida.