Khabib Nurmagomedov Has Coaching Retirement In Sight Ahead Of UFC 311

Khabib Nurmagomedov Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has transitioned from being one of the most successful fighters in MMA history to one of the top coaches in the sport.
On Saturday, Nurmagomedov will be cageside for the co-main event and main event of the UFC 311 fight card as he looks to help Umar Nurmagomedov to a UFC bantamweight championship and guide Islam Makhachev to a successful defense of his UFC lightweight title.
Despite his success as a coach, Nurmagomedov does not seem to relish the job, and he doesn’t plan on doing that job for much longer.
“When these guys finish, I’m going to finish,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN about his coaching career.
“I hope it’s going to be very fast because I’m tired of all this. We were way on top of this game the last eight years, seven years since I become champion and you can even watch the team record.
“We almost don’t lose and I’m talking about 25 fighters, 25 professional fighters. We fight, we almost don’t lose, everybody fights around the world everywhere. Japan, Middle East, Europe, U.S., South America. We’re fighting in everywhere in this world, and we almost don’t lose.
“We have so many belts, we have so many champions, in so many different organizations, and all about because of sacrifice. All these guys they were with me, they were with my father when I was beginning.
“When I finish, a couple of guys with me already finished, there are like six, seven, eight on a very high level, they’re still there. When they finish, I’m going to finish, too.
Nurmagomedov took over the team after the death of his father Abdulmanap in July 2020.
At the time of Abdulmanap’s death, manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN, “We’ve lost our backbone. He was a father, coach, brother, an icon. Things will never be the same without him.”
The younger Nurmagomedov retired as UFC lightweight champion in October 2020, after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
“Today I want to say this is my last fight,” said Nurmagomedov.
“No way am I coming here without my father. When UFC called me about Justin I spoke with my mother for three days.
“She didn’t want me to fight without father and I said this is my last fight – and I have given her my word”.
“Thank you so much Justin. I know you are great, I know how you take care of your people. Be close with your parents, because you never know what is going to happen tomorrow.
“Thank you coach, thank you guys. Today is my last fight in the UFC. It was my father’s dream. Justin and Conor will fight in January, I have choked both out, I am not interested in this.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia celebrates his victory. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
“When I became coach, I understand how my father was feeling,” Nurmagomedov said ahead of UFC 311.
“All his feelings, I understand now because this is a very, very big responsibility. The way how you train, sometimes you have to give guys rest, sometimes you have to push them. You have to stay on balance. Some fighters, they never complain, and you can break them very easily.
“They don’t even understand where is limits, too. Some fighters, they go until they die. They train, they follow, they do everything, and that’s why they need a coach. You have to be looking at him, like maybe how you don’t have to do this, do this.
“It’s a very, very big responsibility, and I think for this kind of rhythm now I understand him, the way how he was feeling because sometimes you can be very, very straight and very mean person, you have to be sometime, but maybe inside you are not. But you have to be because it’s a very big thing.
“You have to be straight because of a lot of things and I think for this kind of reason I understand him more when I become coach.”
One reason Nurmagomedov may find coaching so tiring and stressful is that he seems to approach the role much like he approached his fighting career, which ended with a perfect 29-0 record.
“I can describe this in one word: all about sacrifice,” Nurmagomedov said. “People talk about discipline, but sometimes discipline is not enough. All about sacrifice.”
“If you want to become the best, there is no family. If you want to spend time with your family, kids, okay, be with them,” added Nurmagomedov.
“You’re going to become best family man. I’m not against family people, I just say, if you want to become best in this business, you have to sacrifice. Sacrifice your time, sacrifice your health, and sacrifice everything good you have.
“Other way, I don’t know. I was in this game not only like coach. But like fighter, too. When people try to talk with me, give me some excuse what they have to do, I just say, this guy, he can be just a regular fighter like thousands and thousands of other people. Just regular fighter. He’s going to make money, he’s going to be good, but he’s never going to be champion.”