Veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard shares incredible story about Khabib Nurmagomedov's father from pre-UFC days: "He retired his fighter on the stool"
A story concerning Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was recently recounted by MMA referee Marc Goddard. Goddard stated that the legendary MMA coach was well respected by all, expressing his affection for Nurmagomedov's father.
Red Corner MMA took to social media and posted an interview with Goddard praising Nurmagomedov's father. The veteran referee revealed that before 'The Eagle's' time in the UFC, the Russian coach retired one of his fighters during a bout against UFC middleweight Roman Kopylov, which surprised many in attendance.
Goddard went on to compliment Abdulmanap's beliefs and the way he was perceived in Russia. He said:
''He [Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov] had an aura. I remember one particular fight, there was Roman Kopylov, who's in the UFC now, he was fighting a guy from Dagestan, and it was a title fight. It was five rounds. I remember great fight, real high-paced and Kopylov started to get the upper hand. I think it was the end of the fourh and he [Kopylov] hurt his opponent bad.''
Goddard added:
''He actually retired his fighter on the stool...People think that Abdulmanap, everyone knows him because of Khabib...but his years and years of countless, his lifetime's work in combat sambo coaching before that was there before him...a legitimate guy, well-known, respected and I remeber I used to see that when I see him. There was always a warm feeling.''
Check out Marc Goddard's comments below:
'The Eagle' has consistently acknowledged his late father's coaching role as a key factor in his achievement. Nurmagomedov's father is widely considered the godfather of Dagestan MMA.
His efforts resulted in a surge of combat sports talent in the region, producing champions across various MMA promotions.
When Javier Mendez disclosed Khabib Nurmagomedov's father's actual plan
Khabib Nurmagomedov's MMA coach Javier Mendez, was frequently heard from the corner throughout his UFC bouts, advising him to stick to ''father's plan''. This advice was primarily about the strategic game plan designed by the UFC legend's father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Mendez revealed in an interview with Gorilla Fighting last year, that the ''father's plan'' wasn't just about grappling. Rather, it included a far more detailed approach:
'Father's plan' is not grappling; a lot of people think it's grappling. It has never been grappling. No, 'father's plan' was much more than that. It's what you have as an advantage over your opponent, that's 'father's plan'. His father was not simple like that, and his father was very complex; he was a genius. So it wasn't about grappling... It's about using your best strengths against your opponent's weaknesses and understanding what they are."
Check out Javier Mendez's comments below: