Khabib Nurmagomedov has develop into an plain star in UFC and is on a mission to be one of many biggest ever MMA fighters.
The light-weight champion will not be the ‘sexiest’ famous person by way of flamboyance, promotional strategies and even aesthetics within the octagon, however he’s a world-class wrestler who breaks his opponents down on the mat.
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He has seen off numerous challenges to his crown and the harmful striker, Justin Gaethje, is the subsequent to strive his luck. It is a man who likes to knock individuals out.
Regardless of not being often known as a knockout puncher himself, Khabib has eight KO finishes on his file and a 28-Zero file.
“I’m an enormous fan of Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. And I need to be the best like these guys. Not solely contained in the cage but in addition outdoors,” he has beforehand stated.
A lot has been stated about Khabib’s coaching strategies that began again in Russia the place his late father coach had him wrestling bears as a baby.
“Firstly, a baby all the time needs his father to see what his son is able to,” Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov beforehand stated.
“It’s a pity that there was nothing extra attention-grabbing when he was youthful. In the long run, this was a take a look at of character greater than train.”
The 31-year-old’s dedication and distinctive coaching underpins the general tenacity and dedication he reveals contained in the octagon the place he has develop into the king of the UFC light-weight division with notable wins over Dustin Poirier, Michael Johnson and Conor McGregor.
Former light-heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen recalled a narrative about Khabib in coaching the place he took on his complete camp 5 minutes at a time back-to-back – and beat each single one.
“Khabib’s obtained his complete workforce and coach Fabiano [Scherner] stated there have been like seven or eight guys.
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“Khabib stays in for 5 minutes, clock goes off, new man is available in. They simply preserve doing this till the exercise companions can’t proceed.
“It’s not when Khabib is drained, its when all of the exercise companions who’re getting all these breaks in between are exhausted and might’t go.
“Coach Fabiano stated he didn’t know if he’d ever seen something like that by way of the depth he might sustain over a protracted time period. He was sporting guys out whereas he was sporting down. Recent guys nonetheless couldn’t put on him out.”
Sonnen says he believes appears could be deceiving in relation to the UFC light-weight champ and his foes typically underestimate his type and substance.
“I imagine Khabib has a leg-up on competitors by accident. As a result of I imagine if anyone watched Khabib wrestle, significantly the takedowns and the management on high particularly, which is his bread and butter, they nonetheless underestimate how good he as at that.
“I imagine whenever you watch him on movie, you get very snug as a result of he’s a rinse and repeat man. Push within the fence, entangle your legs, get to the physique, drag you to the mat, entangle the legs whereas pounding, utilizing loads of strain, mixing in strikes with passes with submissions.
“He does an excellent job of being busy. However you could possibly break that down and go ‘I’m used to that and I’ve seen that.’
“However, it does seem that Khabib is doing somewhat greater than meets the attention. It’s very refined and complex.”
There’s no query Khabib is a one in every of a form fighter and his gateway to the UFC is a path valuable few, if anybody, has walked earlier than.
And his coaching camp is definitely not for the faint hearted!
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