"I guess some may say it's cheating" - UFC flyweight Tagir Ulanbekov on having Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner
Tagir Ulanbekov has detailed how he feels knowing that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be by his side at UFC 272.
The No.15-ranked flyweight hopes to win his third successive fight in the promotion, which could be a step towards breaking into the division's top 10. He faces the experienced and dangerous Tim Elliott, who will no doubt do his best to turn this matchup into a brawl.
In a recent video uploaded to Khabib Nurmagomedov's YouTube channel, Ulanbekov opened up about the advantages of having 'The Eagle' in his corner:
"I guess some may say it's cheating. For me, it's a huge motivation to have Khabib in my corner. Not too long ago, he was the pound-for-pound number one fighter on the planet. And he is considered the greatest of all time. It's a huge motivation and honor to have him in my corner."
The 30-year-old then stated that he has nothing to fear when he has elite fighters and coaches ready to offer him advice during fight night:
"When people like Khabib, Islam, and Javier [Mendez] are in my corner, I have nothing to worry about."
The submission specialist hopes to recapture the form that helped him win both the Fight Nights Global and Gorilla Fighting Championship flyweight titles.
Watch Tagir Ulanbekov and Umar Nurmagomedov prepare for their UFC 272 fights below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov's success as a coach
After retiring with a perfect 29-0 record, Khabib Nurmagomedov has brilliantly carried his success over to his coaching career.
The Russian has been a major part of Islam Makhachev's rise up the lightweight ranks. Furthermore, the 33-year-old has managed to take on the role of his late father Abdulmanap in helping younger fighters grow and make a name for themselves in the sport.
Another standout under the tutelage of the former lightweight champion is his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. The 26-year-old is undefeated in 13 fights in his MMA career and will be in action at UFC 272 against Brian Kelleher.
'The Eagle' remains dedicated to building athletes and has even offered his coaching support to the returning Luke Rockhold – his former training partner from his time with the American Kickboxing Academy.