Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Javier Mendez says Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘needs to master’ cornering: ‘He goes a little crazy’

Javier Mendez thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov could use some work on his cornering.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] could use some work on his cornering.

The UFC Hall of Famer returned to cornering his teammates when he assisted his protege, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, in his title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 earlier this month. Makhachev submitted Poirier to notch his third title defense.

Mendez would like to see Nurmagomedov relax more while giving instructions.

“He needs to master the corner, though,” Mendez told Helen Yee. “We still need to work the corner because he goes a little crazy on there, up and down, slamming on the table. I said, ‘Calm down, calm down.’ He gets really amped up.

“I mean, he loves his fighters so much, his brothers that you know, everything goes into that fight when he goes – I forgot what it was like to have him in the corner. It’s kind of crazy.”

Mendez, the head coach of American Kickboxing Academy, gave Nurmagomedov advice on how to improve as a cornerman.

“I gave him instructions on, ‘Hey, it’s OK to do what you need to do, but just sit down, yell as loud as you can to get your fighters’ attention, you don’t have to hit the table, stand up and cause the commission to keep telling us to sit down,'” Mendez said.

“So I said, ‘Scream louder, scream as loud as you can.’ He goes, ‘Coach, how am I going to reach him,’ I go, ‘Scream, scream as loud as you can.’ You’ve got to be able to say things within reason because you’ve got to listen the crowd. The crowd’s screaming, there’s nothing you can say. The fighter ain’t going to hear nothing.”

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Daniel Cormier: I don’t know that we’ll ever see anybody more dominant than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Daniel Cormier points out the main difference between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] points out the main difference between [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Both Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) and Nurmagomedov have notched three title defenses as lightweight champion – the division’s record in the UFC. With Nurmagomedov in his corner, Makhachev retained his lightweight title by submitting Dustin Poirier in Saturday’s UFC 302 main event.

Nurmagomedov’s (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) title defenses came over Conor McGregor, Poirier, and Justin Gaethje before he decided to hang up his gloves. Cormier discussed their performances against common opponent Poirier.

“I don’t know that it’s fair to compare them, especially based on the common opponent, because I believe Dustin Poirier was better because he had the opportunity to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen.

“He had felt that strength in grappling – a little bit of a recognition of what he would be facing when he got in the octagon. I was one of the people that said early, and I said I think Islam Makhachev is more dangerous than Khabib because of his striking. But as I reflect on this, as a guy that’s been in there with both, I don’t know if we’ll ever see anyone as dominant as Khabib.”

Cormier explains that Makhachev’s willingness to stand on the feet puts him in more risky situations than Nurmagomedov, who had one specific, but unstoppable way of winning fights.

“I’m not saying that Islam was losing the fight on Saturday,” Cormier said. “There were times, though, where it looked competitive. How often did you see Khabib Nurmagomedov not look outwardly dominant? That is where I think you make the difference. We don’t know what would’ve happened if Khabib stayed for a while, but … history tells us he’d probably still be holding onto that championship right now with about eight or nine title defenses and still kind of dominating the way that he did.

“So when I watch them, I think the dominance is different because Islam will stand with you more than Khabib was willing to. But it was in the idea that you knew exactly what Khabib Nurmagomedov was going to do to you and nobody could stop it. With Islam, sure, you’ve got more things to worry about – you’ve got to worry about the striking. But with Khabib, he literally would tell you, ‘I am going to take you down and maul you and beat you up,’ and no one could stop it. I don’t know that we’ll ever see anybody more dominant than him.”

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‘Today Islam grew a lot’: Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Makhachev’s performance at UFC 302

Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov gave a glowing review of Islam Makhachev’s submission win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] believes UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] will walk away from UFC 302 as a much better fighter.

The UFC Hall of Famer was in Makhachev’s corner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., helping guide his lifelong friend, training partner, and pupil to a successful title-defending submission victory over Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event.

Although this fight did not go the distance like Makhahcev’s first title defense over Alexander Volkanovski, Poirier pushed Makhachev hard, and became the first to open cuts on the champ. Nurmagomedov noticed how hard Makhachev had to fight for the victory, and was pleased at how he persevered.

“To be honest, today Islam grew a lot,” Nurmagomedov said in a video on UFC’s social media. “You don’t even understand. When you go deep like today, it shows people you understand your body, and your things inside, and how deep you can go even more.

“All the time people underestimate themself – our body, our soul. We can go more deeper than five rounds, 10 rounds – it doesn’t matter.You just have to find this. You just have to be relaxed and find this way you have to go. How you can go deep. It was a very deep fight.”

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Nurmagomedov returned to Makhachev’s corner for the first time since he won the lightweight title by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. After taking time away from the sport to be with his family, Nurmagomedov returned after missing two fights to reunite with Makhachev.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Jailton Almeida a ‘huge fan’ of Khabib Nurmagomedov, says he received tips ahead of UFC 302

Jailton Almeida got some insight from a Hall of Famer ahead of UFC 302.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] got some insight from a Hall of Famer ahead of UFC 302.

Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Alexandr Romanov (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on Saturday’s main card (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Almeida competes on the same card as headliner and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who will have [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in his corner. Almeida says he had the opportunity to speak to Nurmagomedov and was surprised when “The Eagle” told him he watched his fights.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Makhachev,” Almeida told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 302 media day. “As everyone knows, I’m a fan of that school. I’m a fan of that style. I’m a huge Khabib fan. I crossed paths with him doing some training, and I really got emotional about it, just somebody I’ve always admired.

“I actually found out that he watched my fights and had some comments on my fight. So, I was just there absorbing all the tips and the fact that he actually watched my fights, and I’ve watched him train, as well, so I saw some things. Listen, big fan of Makhachev. I just think he’s a surreal evolution, he’s growing a lot, and I think it’s going to be Islam (beating Poirier).”

Almeida will look to rebound from his first octagon loss when he takes on fellow grappler Romanov.

“He’s a really experienced guy,” Almeida said. “Somebody that’s got a good record, coming off a win, but a guy that’s young. He’s 33 years old, but for his age he’s got a lot of experience under his belt and is a guy with a different style for heavyweights. He likes the ground game, the wrestling, the grappling style and again, an experienced guy that likes to grapple.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Michael Bisping: Islam Makhachev ‘a new, improved version’ of Khabib Nurmagomedov

Michael Bisping sees Islam Makhachev as version 2.0 of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] sees UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] as version 2.0 of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will look to tie Nurmagomedov’s record of three lightweight title defenses when he faces Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Nurmagomedov passed the torch on to his protege after retiring as undefeated lightweight champion in October 2020. Bisping thinks Makhachev is a more well rounded fighter than Nurmagomedov.

“Khabib came first, and he’ll always be remembered for that, for what he did to the sport, how he represented Dagestan and implemented that style,” Bisping told TNT Sports. “It took over the sport, let’s be honest. But his time has gone. It has passed, but Islam is a new, improved version. Look at the head kick knockout of Alexander Volkanovski.

“He’s much, much smoother on the feet. His grappling’s just as good as Khabib’s, or it’s certainly up there. He’s really molding into this champion. He feels it. He walks and talks with a certain bravado and an assurance that comes not from confidence or ego. It comes from knowing what he’s capable of.”

Makhachev revealed that Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for the first time since UFC 280, where he submitted Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title. Nurmagomedov previously stated that he retired from cornering fighters, but appears to have changed his tune.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

‘Eagle is landed’: Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to corner Islam Makhachev at UFC 302

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to Islam Makhachev’s corner for the UFC 302 main event against Dustin Poirier.

After a two-fight absence, Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] will return to [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s corner at UFC 302 against Dustin Poirier.

In the headliner of the pay-per-view event, Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will look to defend his lightweight title against former interim titleholder Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (ESPN+ PPV).

Makhachev is excited to have his close friend back in his corner after Nurmagomedov was absent for consecutive victories over former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

“Eagle is landed in Jersey City,” Makhachev said in a video on the UFC’s Instagram page. “He’s going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he’s one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7h09kySciF/

Nurmagomedov was last present in Makhachev’s corner for the vacant lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Makhachev submitted Oliveira in Round 2 to become the new undisputed champion.

“The Eagle” was absent from Makhachev’s first and second title defenses against Volkanovski as he stepped away from the sport completely to be with his family. Even without Nurmagomedov physically present, Makhachev said he still felt Nurmagomedov’s influence as he helped from afar. Makhachev would defeat Volkanovski by unanimous decision in their first meeting and then land a vicious head kick for a first-round knockout in the rematch.

Friends since childhood, Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have been tightly linked throughout their MMA careers as training partners. After retiring from competition, Nurmagomedov became a coach and mentor. Now, for his third lightweight title bout, Makhachev will have his top cornerman at his side to take on Poirier.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov: Islam Makhachev has ‘clearly developed plan’ to finish Dustin Poirier by Round 3 at UFC 302

Khabib Nurmagomedov expects Islam Makhachev to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] expects [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), a retired former 155-pound titleholder and a primary coach for Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), has been diligently preparing his athlete to face a previous opponent of his own in Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Poirier comes into the fight as a sizeable underdog against Makhachev, who is No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings. His chances are being dismissed by many, but given his past experience with “The Diamond,” Nurmagomedov is not among that group.

“Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” Nurmagomedov said on his YouTube channel. “I personally fought him, spent three rounds and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects.

“Dustin Poirier is very experienced. He’s been in many battles already. Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly.”

Nurmagomedov defeated Poirier by third-round submission when they fought at UFC 242 in September 2019. That was Poirier’s first chance at an undisputed UFC title, and he lost the same way in his second bid at a belt against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in December 2021.

Poirier, 35, has openly admitted to being aware this is almost certainly his final chance at an undisputed championship. That likely means he’s going to put it all on the line inside the cage, so Makhachev, 32, must be ultra-cautious. His team understands this, and Nurmagomedov said that so long as Makhachev follows the prepared strategy from training camp, he will leave with a third consecutive defense of his belt.

“We have great respect for Dustin, but on June 1, he is our opponent,” Nurmagomedov said. “We have a clearly developed plan for the fight, and I believe Islam will follow it. I really hope that Islam will finish him off in the second or third round.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Ben Askren convinced Conor McGregor is jealous of Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘No money can make up for that’

“Conor wishes that he had that much respect for himself, but he is too busy with prostitutes and cocaine that he just can’t control himself.”

[autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] believes [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s constant shots at [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] are fueled by jealousy.

McGregor and Nurmagomedov competed in the highest-selling pay-per-view event in UFC history when they squared off in a title fight at UFC 229. The build-up was ugly, but Nurmagomedov got the last laugh when he submitted McGregor to retain his lightweight belt. Nurmagomedov couldn’t contain himself after finishing McGregor as he immediately jumped the fence to attack his corner. A brawl ensued between the two teams, and the bad blood is very much alive from McGregor’s side.

McGregor accused Nurmagomedov of running from competition when he retired in October 2020 and has continuously insulted him – most recently after hearing the rumors of Nurmagomedov allegedly underpaying his businesses’ taxes.

“That’s typical rat behavior,” McGregor said in a livestream with Duelbits. “Scurrying rat. Fight for legacy, two main events or something he has in the UFC, and he owes his b*llocks to the Russian government.

“So, he’s going to pay his f*cking money that he owes instead of siphoning it out through to other countries. I’m ecstatic and delighted that that’s coming on top of him, and we will all welcome him back into the fight game where he’s ran from.”

Askren is not surprised to see McGregor go after Nurmagomedov and theorizes that “The Eagle” is everything he wishes he was.

“He’ll never not do that, ever,” Askren said of McGregor on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Daniel Cormier. “He’s going to be 80 years old attacking Khabib because he’s jealous, of course. No doubt in my mind at all. He’s got all the money in the world. Deep down in his heart, what he wanted to be was the most respected fighting champion on planet earth.

“No money can make up for that. That’s what Khabib is. Khabib is a fighting champion that everyone has a deep amount of respect for because of the way he lived his life. Conor wishes that he had that much respect for himself, but he is too busy with prostitutes and cocaine that he just can’t control himself. So, of course he’s jealous of Khabib.”

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns from an almost three-year long layoff in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at UFC 303 June 29 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

Islam Makhachev: Khabib Nurmagomedov happy, but misses fighting

Islam Makhachev says Khabib Nurmagomedov is still very entrenched in the fight game.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] says [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is still very entrenched in the fight game.

Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion and has since passed the torch onto Makhachev, who has lived up to the potential by becoming 155-pound champ himself.

Nurmagomedov insists he will never fight again, but Makhachev admits that Nurmagomedov still loves the game.

“I think he’s happy, but this guy misses fighting, fight camp,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “That’s why he joins us everywhere. He loves to train – every day, he trains.

“Not just when he’s with us, everyday this guy’s training. He has a house in the village, a house in the city. Both houses have a sauna, very good gym, swimming pool. This guy is training everyday.”

Makhachev says Nurmagomedov currently weighs over 200 pounds, making him even harder to deal with as a training partner.

“It’s not a secret, Khabib has like the worst style for everybody,” Makhachev said. “If he takes you down, he takes all your energy, all your power because he’s very heavy on top.

“I don’t have the same skills because always when I’m on top, I’m looking for choke, to do something, but this guy has crazy control, he holds you. Now, he has crazy power because he’s big and he holds you and you say, ‘Hey, get out.'”

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Makhachev’s mentor Nurmagomedov submitted Poirier in Round 3 of their title fight at UFC 242.

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Dustin Poirier explains how Islam Makhachev ‘more of a threat’ than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Heading into UFC 303, Dustin Poirier sees Islam Makhachev as a more refined version of Khabib Nurmagomedov in certain areas.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] sees UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] as more refined than [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in certain areas.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) for the lightweight title in the UFC 302 headliner June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Poirier fell short in his pursuit of an undisputed belt when he was submitted by Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September 2019. Now he takes on Nurmagomedov’s protege, Makhachev, whom he thinks is even more dangerous.

“His submission game jiu-jitsu wise is a little bit more versatile than Khabib’s was,” Poirier said on “The MMA Hour.” “Khabib had some chokes that he did really well, but Islam’s put himself in bad positions going for armbars, maybe he loses a position, but he trusts his wrestling to get it back. He’s a little bit more of a threat jiu-jitsu wise in scrambles, and his striking is better than Khabib’s.”

Makhachev said he has the key for an easy fight against Poirier. “The Diamond” thinks Makhachev is undermining him.

“I kind of feel like some of the stuff he says, he might not be (respecting me),” Poirier said. “But I’m going to put my hands on this guy. I’m coming in there to hurt him. This is my last shot – mom’s spaghetti, let’s go. … I haven’t been keeping up a whole lot, but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown told me, ‘Man, I think this guy may be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’

“I think what he was referring to was an interview of Islam saying, ‘This is an easy fight for me.’ I was tagged in a bunch of stuff on Instagram and Twitter of him saying that. I don’t know, maybe he goes about all fights like that, but I can finish and beat anybody at 155 pounds in the world. I really believe that, and he doesn’t have to believe it. I’m the one who has to believe it, and I’m the one who has to go out there and beat his ass. I can do that.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.