The former Russian UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, has lately been busy coaching for the American Kickboxing Academy. Despite being coach for these young fighters, Khabib doesn’t like himself to be called coach. Rather, he prefers to be called a senior mentor.
Khabib is described as one of the greatest UFC fighters to ever exist. His excellence didn’t just stop at the pentagon. His coaching is also on par with his fighting, as many describe. Although the former champion doesn’t like to be a coach and prefers himself as a senior mentor for the team.
In Khabib’s coaching career, several upcoming Dagestani fighters will fight on the title card at UFC 280. This includes Islam Makhachev, who will face Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 280.
On that note, when media approached Khabib for his opinion about recent fights and his over-all coaching formula, he said, “You mentioned ‘senior mentor’ and that’s closest to what I am, but I wouldn’t call myself a coach since I was never their coach. We all trained together… I think I’m more of a senior mentor. I’m the oldest among them and often have to take matters into my own hands. I feel like there are many instances where I can share my knowledge and experience. ”
The Eagle was asked if the fighters got offended. He responded, “A rational person with the right understanding of life will understand what all that is for. It’s not for me, it’s all for them. They don’t get offended; we have a good bond. The guys are respectful in that regard. We’ve been together so many years. We understand each other without saying much. Overall, we have good communication. ”
However, Mexican-American mixed martial arts coach, Javier Mendez, says it’s the other way around. He thinks Khabib’s leadership skills have great influence over the students and he can become one of the greatest MMA coaches ever because, before him, Khabib’s father was also a great coach, so Khabib can also repeat that legacy.
Mendez recently shared that, “He’s been coaching forever. Even when he was fighting, he was coaching. He’d be sparring through these five rounds and all of a sudden he’d be sitting there with us coaching the guys. He’s been doing that forever. His father had trained him from such a young age to take the responsibility over, as a fighter, as a coach, and he’s taking over his father’s footsteps… He’s on track to be the greatest coach of all time, in my opinion. ”
After his early retirement, Khabib devoted himself to coaching, which shows how great a passion he carries for MMA. And we all hope that passion can be carried on by one of the students in the future.
