Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov reflects on death of father Abdulmanap one year later

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and others reflect on death of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov one year later.

It’s been one year since the death of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

The Team Eagle coach and mentor died July 3, 2020, after complications from COVID-19. He was 57.

His death was taken hard by Khabib, his family and the MMA community.

Abdulmanap was an ever-present figure in Khabib’s MMA career. He was one of his one of his main coaches along with American Kickboxing Academy’s Javier Mendez. The loss of his father eventually led to Khabib’s decision to walk away from the sport after he promised his mother he would not continue fighting without his father.

One year later, Khabib reflected on his father’s death.

“It’s been a year today since the Father is gone,” Khabib wrote on Instagram. “This event has increased my belief that in this world we own nothing, not out children, not our parents, not our property. Everything we have is temporary.

“All things belong to Allah alone and to Him we shall return, tie your hearts to Allah, stay more alone with Him, for a time will come when we will all be put in the grave where we will be alone, where our friends, relatives, property and connections will not be there, only our deeds and report.”

Khabib last fought in October 2020 at UFC 254, where he successfully defended his lightweight title with a submission win over Justin Gaethje. He retired at 32 and unbeaten his career at 29-0.

Below, see how other friends and teammates of Khabib reflected on the anniversary of Abdulmanap’s death

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Conor McGregor must win early to top Dustin Poirier in UFC 264 trilogy

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s perspective on the third fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor doesn’t different much from the second.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s perspective on the third fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor doesn’t different much from the second.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) thinks that if his old rival McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is going to win the rubber match at UFC 264 on July 10 in Las Vegas, then he needs to finish Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) in the opening round of the lightweight headliner.

If McGregor can’t get the job done in the first five minutes, Nurmagomedov argues the Irishman’s odds take a significant dip, and the window for Poirier opens significantly.

“If it’s the first round (for a finish), I’d back Conor,” Nurmagomedov told RT. “From the second round and further, then Dustin wins.”

There was similar analysis offered by Nurmagomedov, as well as other pundits, going into the Poirier vs. McGregor rematch at UFC 257 in January. McGregor landed some solid strikes in the opening minutes, but as time wore on, “The Diamond” began to take over.

Poirier’s leg kicks slowed McGregor as the fight wore on, then in the second round he landed a shot that hurt “The Notorious” and set up the first knockout loss of his career in MMA.

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The pair are now set to run it back once more in a deciding trilogy fight, with the winner likely set to challenge lightweight champ Charles Oliveira for the belt later this year.

Oliveira’s title is the one Nurmagomedov opted to vacate when he retired from combat sports competition with an undefeated record. “The Eagle” ruled over the 155-pound class for years, but his departure opens things up and it’s hard to gauge how often the title will be passed around.

Nurmagomedov said he’s enjoying the unpredictability of the division, though, and thinks it’s going to hit peak form by the end of the year.

“The division has always been the most interesting and the strongest,” Nurmagomedov said. “It will be fun by the end of the year.”

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Manager: Khabib declined recent offers to fight Floyd Mayweather for $100 million, Georges St-Pierre

According to Ali Abdelaziz, Khabib Nurmagomedov is still retired despite lucrative offers.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] continues to stay true to his word.

According to his manager Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov (29-0) remains retired, despite some very lucrative offers that have come his way recently.

In a recent episode of “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson,” Abdelaziz claimed Nurmagomedov, since his October retirement, received a nine-figure offer to fight boxing great Floyd Mayweather. Nurmagomedov declined.

Additionally, Abdelaziz added UFC president Dana White reached out as recently as this past week. According to Abdelaziz, White relayed that former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] is eager to fight Nurmagomedov, despite both men’s retirement statuses.

“Two weeks ago, (or) 10 days ago, Dana White called me,” Abdelaziz said. “He said, ‘Georges St-Pierre, he said he’ll fight Khabib in a non-title fight at 165 pounds.’ In a way, we’ve been waiting for Georges. I like Georges. He’s my friend. I like Georges. … We’ve been waiting for Georges for four or five years. ‘I’m coming. I’m not coming.’ … Now, (St-Pierre) said, ‘Hey, Khabib is retired. I’m retired. What about coming back and fighting Khabib now?”

“But you know, Khabib got offered $100 million after he was retired to fight Floyd Mayweather,” Abdelaziz continued. “$100 million. $100 million. You can ask Floyd. You can ask everybody. Khabib said, ‘No, I’m retired. I told my mother I’m retired. I’m going to keep my word to my mother. If my mother told me to fight again, maybe I will. But right now, she told me not to fight.'”

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Taking his client at his word, Abdelaziz indicated that if St-Pierre is looking to come back against an all-time great, he should fight current UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC), whom he also manages.

“Georges St-Pierre wanted to come back,” Abdelaziz said. “He wanted someone untouchable, right? That’s true. The pound-for-pound king right now? ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman. That man never lost a fight in the UFC. (He) never got touched in the UFC. He’s smashed everybody, right? In a way, if he wants to come back and fight somebody invincible, hey, they’re the same weight. Come back. Georges St-Pierre can come back and fight Kamaru Usman. I’ll be more than happy. The UFC will be more than happy. It will be such a huge fight.”

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Nurmagomedov and St-Pierre (26-2) expressed interest in fighting one another in the past. Ahead of his 29-0 record-clinching victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 last October, Nurmagomedov name-dropped St-Pierre as an ideal opponent for his 30th (and then-thought to be final) fight.

Following Nurmagomedov’s retirement, St-Pierre deflected questioning as to whether or not he would have accepted the fight had it been offered and had Nurmagomedov not announced his retirement inside the cage.

St-Pierre, 40, has not competed since a one-off comeback fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017. The fight was St-Pierre’s first in four years.

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‘You got Dana White privilege’: Tony Ferguson steals show at UFC 262 press conference

Tony Ferguson was on fire as he took aim at Michael Chandler, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his opponent, Beneil Dariush.

HOUSTON – [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] didn’t hold back during Thursday’s UFC 262 press conference.

Ferguson, a former UFC interim lightweight champion, went off on more than just his opponent, Beneil Dariush, as he took shots at current title challenger [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] to his face and former champ [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], who wasn’t present.

Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) first went after Nurmagomedov, with whom he has plenty of history. The two were scheduled to fight five times throughout the past several years, but the bout never came to fruition for a multitude of reasons. Nurmagomedov retired last October, but even retirement hasn’t dwindled Ferguson’s beef with him.

“He’s a f*cking b*tch, he’s a f*cking p*ssy,” Ferguson said, interrupting MMA Junkie’s John Morgan as he asked Dana White about Nurmagomedov. “Sorry to interrupt you, but I’m dedicating this song “Mask Off” – chase the check, never chase a b*tch. That’s Khabib.”

Tony Ferguson at the UFC 262 press conference.

Ferguson didn’t stop there. He later extended his trash talk to Chandler, the former Bellator champ who’s set to fight Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 262. Ferguson and Chandler were linked to a bout in late 2020, but it fell through, and “El Cucuy” accused Chandler of avoiding him.

“You f*cking dodged me too, Chandler,” Ferguson said, interrupting. “You’re a b*tch. You said no, man. You got this sh*t handed to you. You got Dana White privilege.”

That remark got a big laugh from even UFC president Dana White himself.

“Check this sh*t out: Dana was right. Timing is everything. It wasn’t meant for me to have the title,” Ferguson continued. “I would’ve given everybody the chance. These guys are going to try to keep the title away as much as they can. I’m Mexican. It doesn’t matter if you colored up here or not, but I’m made with Native American parts, too. Let’s go.”

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Ferguson has long been considered one of the best lightweights as he’s remained a top contender for many years. The 37-year-old was on an impressive 12-fight winning streak, but saw that streak come to an end last year with losses to Justin Gaethje and Oliveira.

Ferguson, who’s on the first losing skid of his career, attempts to get back to his winning ways on Saturday night in the UFC 262 co-main event against Dariush. With his first fight of the year almost here, Ferguson is intent on turning things around.

“The funny thing is, God never puts enough on our plate that we can’t handle,” Ferguson said. “Last year I put so much on my damn plate that he fixed me up for this year, and 2021 is my damn b*tch.”

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Khabib Nurmagomedov says Islam Mamedov has signed with Bellator, targeting July debut

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is moving into the breaking news game.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is moving into the breaking news game.

Nurmagomedov on Thursday told MMA Junkie that Bellator has inked PFL and WSOF veteran [autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (19-1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) to a multi-fight deal, a signing Bellator officials subsequently confirmed.

Nurmagomedov also said Mamedov is targeting a July debut for the promotion, fighting on the same card as Usman Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s cousin who debuted for Bellator earlier this month.

Bellator officials declined to comment on that possibility.

Mamedov, unbeaten in his last 19 fights, is a longtime training partner of Nurmagomedov who first fought in the U.S. under the WSOF banner, where he posted a perfect 4-0 mark, including a win over future two-time PFL lightweight champ Natan Schulte.

Mamedov also fought for the PFL. He earned his way to the playoff semifinals in 2018 but was unable to continue competing following a quarterfinal win over Thiago Tavares and was replaced in the bracket. He qualified again for the playoffs in 2019 but fought to a two-round majority draw with Loik Radzhabov and saw his opponent advance to the semifinals via judges’ tiebreaker.

Nurmagomedov has taken over the role of coach from his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, following his death in 2020, and will be in Mamedov’s corner for his Bellator debut.

“I hope we’ll have fans again in the building in July,” Nurmagomedov stated. “I look forward to meeting the Bellator fans there and supporting Usman and Islam.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov wishes Tony Ferguson well at UFC 262: ‘Even though you look like a sh*t’

Khabib Nurmagomedov finally responded to Tony Ferguson’s frequent messages about a fight between them going down sometime in the future.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] finally responded to [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]’s frequent messages about a fight between them going down sometime in the future.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) and Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) have one of the most notable rivalries in UFC history that never resulted in a fight. The pair were scheduled to share the octagon five times from 2015-2020, but each time something came up that prevented it from happening.

Now Nurmagomedov is retired from MMA competition, vacating the UFC lightweight title he held for multiple years. All signs point to him sticking true to his decision to hang up the gloves, meaning a fight with Ferguson will never materialize.

Still, though, that hasn’t stopped Ferguson from mentioning it and showing confidence he’ll eventually get his hands on Nurmagomedov (via Twitter):

“Tira🍮Misu On 2” 🏈 # You’ll SeeMeSoonEnoughBuddy ⚔️🕶 -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # 🔱 Called It. # ConditioningSucks # KeepRunningFathead -Champ 👣

It’s not the first time Ferguson has gone after Nurmagomedov online since his final fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in September. “The Eagle” has remained quite in response to his rival, but on Wednesday he came forward.

Ferguson has a critical fight in his career booked against Beneil Dariush at UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston. “El Cucuy” enters the bout on a two-fight losing skid, and if the former interim lightweight titleholder wants to reclaim his former glory, a win is a must.

Nurmagomedov reminded Ferguson of as much, and gave him well wishes before sending him off with an insult.

You have a fight soon, your opponent is very tough and most underestimated in lightweight division, focus on him. I wish you and your family best, even though you look like a shit.

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With Khabib in corner, Abubakar Nurmagomedov earns dominant UFC 260 win

Abubakar Nurmagomedov picked up his first UFC victory against Jared Gooden.

With his brother Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] picked up his first UFC victory Saturday.

At UFC 260, Nurmagomedov (15-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) dominated a fellow promotional sophomore, [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag], on the feet and on the ground en route to a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

UFC 260 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

After some fouls in Round 1, Nurmagomedov and Gooden (17-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) each had their moments. It was a close round, but Nurmagomedov found slightly more success in the striking department. In Round 2, Nurmagomedov found success in the striking including one big punch on a clinch break that hurt Gooden.

Nurmagomedov found his takedown in Round 3 when he dragged Gooden to the canvas. From there, he remained in dominant top position. Gooden was unable to get up and the fight ended.

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The fight wasn’t just Nurmagomedov’s first UFC win, it was his first in-cage appearance since November 2019, when he was submitted by David Zawada. Gooden has come up short in both UFC outings. Prior to UFC 260, Gooden lost a unanimous decision to Alan Jouban this past November.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 260 results include:

Luke Rockhold: Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to coach me, ‘be a big part of my comeback’

Khabib Nurmagomedov has offered Luke Rockhold a helping hand ahead of his return.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has offered [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] a helping hand ahead of his return.

Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) says the recently retired Nurmagomedov reached out to him, wanting to help coach him for his comeback to the octagon. The pair spent years training under the tutelage of head coach Javier Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy and “The Eagle” now is looking to embark on a new chapter in his career.

“He’s assuming this coaching role now,” Rockhold told TMZ. “He’s like, ‘You can’t be the master. You can’t be the boss. I have to coach you.’ He’s going off on me, wanting to coach now. He wants to be a big part of my comeback. It’s pretty funny to see Khabib assume this role. He’s going for ‘Coach of the Year.’ That’s what he wants – he wants to be the next great thing and follow in his dad’s footsteps. That’s what his dad always did.”

Rockhold couldn’t help but laugh, telling Nurmagomedov, “We’ll see.” The former UFC middleweight champion has recently been splitting his time between Sanford MMA in Florida and RVCA Training Center in California as he gears up for his first fight since July 2019.

“I think realistically, it’s summer time – late summer return,” Rockhold said of his return. “I’ve got to get my body right. My shoulder’s been an ongoing issue, but it’s finally coming around and getting to a point where I have confidence in it to let it go. I’m pressing to get in shape and it feels good to be back in the gym – finally getting a little fire back.”

After a failed stint at light heavyweight in which he was stopped by current champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239, Rockhold will be returning to his original home at middleweight.

“I believe ’85 is my calling,” Rockhold said. “I’m about 205 pounds right now, and I’m just naturally there. It wasn’t really me to bulk up. I was lifting weights and doing my thing to get up to 205, and I could barely hold 215, 220 at best. I feel good. This is my championship weight. This is where I’ve done all my damage, and I like the route to victory, what’s ahead of me, so I’m ready to go.”

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Khabib Nurmagomedov never contemplated return after UFC 254, despite Dana White’s efforts

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said he never considered walking back his retirement despite Dana White’s efforts.

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Walking back retirement never crossed [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s mind.

The former UFC lightweight champion did not contemplate a return to MMA competition following his retirement announcement at UFC 254 in October 2020 in Abu Dhabi. Nurmagomedov told the world following his third title defense over Justin Gaethje that he was hanging up the gloves for good since he had promised his mother he wouldn’t continue fighting following the death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap, months prior due to complications from COVID-19.

Yet, the UFC didn’t officially recognize Nurmagomedov’s retirement until March – five months after the decision was made public.

UFC president Dana White told the media for months that there was a chance Nurmagomedov would return and he set up multiple meetings with Nurmagomedov in hopes to convince him to comeback.

But despite the efforts to get Nurmagomedov back in the cage, the Dagestani was settled on retirement and never thought of a comeback.

“(I never contemplated a return after retiring). Dana called this official, but I retired like four, six months ago,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN. “It’s very funny: Dana told me when he posted that someone commented saying, ‘Hey, he retired not today, he retired about five months ago,’ and I was like it’s funny. We had some conversations with Dana a couple of times and like two days ago we meet with him to talk like two real men. We had a very good conversation with them, good dinner, and I really appreciated him not only for me, but all the sport.”

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It’s an unusual retirement since Nurmagomedov was in his prime and was coming off arguably the best performance of his career against Gaethje. The 32-year-old was also at the height of his star power and earning potential being one of the most recognized names in combat sports.

“It’s very hard when you have power, when you’re the best in the world, when you’re famous, have money and say to everything like this, ‘No,'” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s very hard. People maybe will never understand me, but I really hope they’re going to support my decision because everyone has their views.

“My view and my relationship with my mother, I feel like I have to stop because I feel like in every fight, every training camp, this takes some age away from my mother. And it’s like what do I have to do? I came to this sport to show who I am and became the best, I’m world champion, and pound-for-pound No. 1. I defended my title three times. I defended my title in biggest fight of UFC history. What else? Only money-fights, but I don’t need money.”

As for what’s next, it’s simple. Nurmagomedov is simply going to enjoy life and help groom the next generation of fighters who are working to become champions in the UFC.

“I have some business projects, I’m going to enjoy with my wife, I have kids, and I have my brothers – they’re still fighting in the UFC, so I’m going to support them.”

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