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Khabib Nurmagomedov's father Abulmanap has been the reason and driving force behind The Eagle's success. Growing up in Dagestan, Khabib Nurmagomedov's father Abdulmanap raised him and helped him reach the heights that he did.
UFC 254 is perhaps the most important fight of Khabib Nurmagomedov's career from a personal standpoint. After losing his father Abdulmanap earlier this year to COVID-19 related complications, the Russian Lightweight Champion is more determined than ever, as he takes on interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout this weekend at Fight Island.
BT Sport posted an animated video on YouTube and social media, which was an animated short on Khabib Nurmagomedov and his journey alongside his father - from his early days in Dagestan till his upcoming fight against Justin Gaethje.
Dana White was shown the video in an interview with BT Sport, and he described it as "f***ing awesome" before stating that he would cry. While he didn't, he went on to praise the Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father:
"He's a hard guy. We all know how much he loved his dad and how close they were. His dad was a hard man. He raised him to be a man's man. Even when his dad passed and it started to come out I reached out to him and said 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry' and all he hit me back with was 'Thanks Dana, I appreciate it'. He's the type of guy who's the man of his family. He's handling his business like a real man does. That's who Khabib is. He's a good guy - he's a good person, good human being, he's good to his family, he's good to his friends and he's been great to this company."
Khabib Nurmagomedov attempts #29
This Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov will attempt to go to 29-0, taking one step closer to the unprecedented 30-0 figure. While it's not known how long he plans to keep fighting, he has a tough task ahead of him when he takes on Justin Gaethje.
It's already being considered by many as one of the toughest fights of Khabib Nurmagomedov's career. Will Justin Gaethje pull off the upset, or will it be another grappling clinic from Nurmagomedov?
