"He's a superstar" - Coach Javier Mendez defends Khabib Nurmagomedov's trash-talking, comparing him with Nate Diaz
Javier Mendez has defended Khabib Nurmagomedov after Israel Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman expressed disappointment over 'The Eagle' indulging in trash-talking with other fighters following his retirement.
Standing up for his star pupil, Javier Mendez said he's fine with fighters indulging in a bit of trash-talking among each other. That is, of course, provided it doesn't get personal and involve each other's families.
Citing the example of Nate Diaz, Mendez said that the Stockton native wouldn't have become such a popular star had he not dared to speak his mind. Mendez pointed out that Diaz isn't afraid to call a spade a spade. The same goes for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Mendez claimed that's part of the reason why they are superstars.
#OnThisDay in 2015...
@NateDiaz209 changed the UFC forever with one call out 🤬
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"Nate Diaz wouldn't be Nate Diaz if he didn't get to talk the way he does. Look what he's done, he's a superstar, you know, because of what? Because he walks the walk, he is who he is, you know. Well, Khabib's the same thing so guess what, same thing, superstar," Javier Mendez said on his podcast.
Check out Javier Mendez's podcast below:
Eugene Bareman reveals why he has lost respect for Khabib Nurmagomedov
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Bareman claimed that he has lost respect for Khabib Nurmagomedov. This is because he apparently "talks more sh*t about other fighters than anybody" right now. Bareman said he thought Nurmagomedov was unlike other fighters and refused to indulge in trash-talking.
Bareman further said that Khabib Nurmagomedov and other fighters hailing from the Dagestan region used to be very respectful but that is not the case anymore.
"Number one thing [in MMA] is respect... MMA is not about trash talking."
@TeamKhabib uses his mic time to talk about respect #UFC242 https://t.co/jp4Y4GnGsW
“Khabib talks more sh*t about other fighters than anybody and I’m disappointed to see that. For me, he was a guy that, oh man, this guy’s still a purist. That’s not a part of his DNA. But now you see him slagging off fighters, and then Makhachev does the same. That never used to be a part of their culture in the sport. They had their own unique place in the sport. Now they’re just like everybody else. Khabib talks just as much sh*t as everybody else. He used to respect all fighters. He used to respect all fighters a lot," Bareman said.
Check out Bareman's interview with Submission Radio below: