When Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev convinced the legendary Abdulmanap to continue coaching despite wanting to quit
Before becoming known as one of the greatest mixed martial arts coaches of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, nearly lost his passion for coaching. In an excerpt from his book that was posted on Twitter, Abdulmanap shared that he lost six champions in one day:
"I remember thinking then that I had been working with this team for 12 years, putting my heart into it, not sparing myself. And what do I get in return? This situation? And if so, why should I continue all this? In short, I seriously thought of ending my coaching career. But Islam, Khabib, and Akhmad came up together and said: "Next year at the Championship we will beat them all."
Nurmagomedov shared that the three fighters who stayed defeated the three fighters that chose to leave. He noted that the fighters, who had left for more money, attempted to rejoin the team after the losses:
"Those who remained are the best in all indicators, including the fees received. Whose personal example was more effective? Akhmad Gelegayev is a four-time world champion. Khabib has the UFC belt. Islam Makhachev is a top contender. Those who stayed that day changed a lot in their lives. I started working with them even harder."
Khabib Nurmagomedov is now a UFC Hall of Famer, while Islam Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion. Their ability to convince Abdulmanap to continue coaching paid off for all parties involved.
Check out the Twitter thread sharing an excerpt from Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's book below:
Less known Khabib fact:
Khabib’s father wanted to stop coaching because 6 of his students left him on the same day. But Khabib and Islam inspired him to continue.
From Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s book:
Islam Makhachev's mother wants him to follow Khabib Nurmagomedov's footsteps and retire
Islam Makhachev followed in the footsteps of his close friend and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he is now the UFC lightweight champion. While speaking with Red Corner MMA, he recently revealed that his mother would like for him to join the UFC Hall of Famer in retirement, stating:
"My mother doesn't watch fights. Not just my fights - fights in general. She doesn't like seeing people hit each other. When I came home, there were a lot of people there. She said, 'you're champion now. Wrap it up. Khabib listened to his mother. When will you listen to yours?' I told her Khabib defended his title, and I need to do the same. It's a hard topic for my mother. My father's the opposite. He watches all the fights."
Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away from active competition as the longest-reigning champion in the history of the UFC lightweight division. It is unclear if Islam Makhachev will follow his friend and leave the sport while still being in his prime as well.
Watch Islam Makhachev's comments below: