[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] might not have known it at the time, but back in late March he paid the ultimate tribute to the values of the man who raised him through the simple act of going home.
At the outset of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, Nurmagomedov was in the United States preparing for what was scheduled to be the UFC 249 main event against Tony Ferguson. This was customary for the native of the Russian republic of Dagestan, who would head over to these shores to prepare for his fights at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose.
Once it became clear the virus knew no borders, and certainly didn’t care about whether a fight card happened, there was only one answer: It was time to go home and be with family. Soon thereafter, travel between the U.S. and Russia, which have turned out to be two of the world’s COVID-19 hotspots, was restricted.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was the one who taught Khabib that hard work pays off. Who kept him out of trouble one can easily find in an impoverished land. Who molded him into a fighter, then a champion, then an aspirational figure for an entire region.
So Khabib went home to Russia. He brushed aside the selfish desires of the Twitter mob who wanted him to put their entertainment above all else. The son put family first, and thus got to be at his father’s side throughout the illness that ultimately claimed his life Friday. Abdulmanap was 57.
Perhaps you don’t agree with some of the ideals Khabib holds, which may seem out of place in Western culture. That doesn’t matter today. Family is universal.
One can criticize Khabib’s actions in triggering a brawl at T-Mobile Arena following his most famous victory, over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. But McGregor insulted Khabib’s family and his heritage in the leadup to their showdown, then tried to claim afterward it was all about selling the fight. Khabib’s unmistakable message: This is reality, not reality TV. His beliefs are not for sale.
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So, too, was Khabib’s resolute insistence McGregor not be granted a rematch. No dollar figure was worth granting a man who had gratuitously insulted his family another fight simply because it would sell.
Khabib did not see himself as the representative of the Hollywood conglomerate that runs the promotion. His belt was not a prop, but rather the symbol of the world championship of a sport in his weight class. He was going to defend it against the most worthy man in line, and that man ended up being Dustin Poirier. That level of integrity is rarely found in the fight game.
In hindsight, their UFC 242 fight in Abu Dhabi, in which Khabib fended off a spirited effort by Poirier for a third-round submission, turned out to be the ultimate tribute to the legacy Abdulmanap built. The event demonstrated the younger Nurmagomedov had transcended Russia and is a far bigger star in the overall Muslim world than we understood back here in North America.
Unfortunately, that proved to be the final time the elder Nurmagomedov got to see his son compete, as he succumbed to complications from the virus which has taken more than a half-million lives worldwide.
While he only lived 57 years, Adbulnamap left the sort of impact few achieve in a lifetime. Dagestan, a republic of just three million people, is now one of the world’s MMA capitals. His son is the greatest manifestation of his vision of sambo-based combat. If the undefeated Khabib chose to retire today, he’d forever be name-checked on the short list of the very best ever to compete in this sport.
Whether Khabib returns to fight Justin Gaethje in September or whether he returns at all is moot right now.
The son heeded the call to return to family when a whole lot of people wanted him to stick around and be part of a hare-brained scheme to fight on a doomed California card. That choice meant Khabib was able to be with his father through the end.
Fame is ephemeral. Family is forever. Loyalty to those who were there for you all along is placed above all else. That’s the legacy Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov leaves. That’s the legacy his son upholds.
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