Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach comes clean on UFC legend's striking prowess, claims fans never saw the best of his standup game

Khabib Nurmagomedov built his legacy on suffocating pressure, chain wrestling, and terrifying ground-and-pound. But according to longtime coach Javier Mendez, the world never got to witness the full extent of Nurmagomedov’s striking game.

While talking about Nurmagomedov's striking in a recent episode of the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Mendez claimed that the Dagestani battered elite fighters in sparring. It's worth noting that Nurmagomedov dropped Conor McGregor with a clean overhand right and stood toe-to-toe with Justin Gaethje, even with a broken foot.

Mendez, also added that he never pushed the Dagestani to chase knockouts on the feet, out of respect for the former UFC lightweight champion's late father, Abdulmanap’s plan. He said:

"When he came, Khabib couldn't strike at all, didn't know any striking whatsoever. And I started taking him on, you know, as coaching him personally, and he never trained in striking, just very minimal... But Islam [Makhachev] and Umar [Nurmagomedov] and all the other guys, they started right away doing standup... He was beating up everybody in stand-up at the gym. All the killers, he destroyed them all in stand-up. All of them. Usman [Nurmagomedov], all those guys, they couldn’t hang with him. He was that good."

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He added:

"I didn't want him to test his striking ever because he was better than everybody on the ground. So why the hell would I risk, you know, him and his father put him in my care? His father trusted me to do the right thing by him. That's why when his father passed away, I created Father’s Plan so we never forget the legendary Abdulmanap and the great contribution he did through his students."

Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (53:40 onwards):

Nurmagomedov retired after his win against Gaethje, arguably as one of the most dominant fighters in the history of the sport. He retired with a 29-0 record with three lightweight title defenses.

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar