"I have never seen this" - Coach Javier Mendez pens touching tribute on Khabib Nurmagomedov's bond with cousins Umar and Usman

Khabib Nurmagomedov may have retired from fighting in 2020, but he has continued to be a key figure for his teammates and his family.

He is known to share an immensely close friendship with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Nurmagomedov has even stated that Makhachev was his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's favorite student.

Head coach of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Javier Mendez, recently penned a heartfelt tribute about the bond between Khabib Nurmagomedov and his cousins, Umar and Usman Nurmagomedov.

Umar Nurmagomedov, the older brother, currently competes in the UFC's bantamweight division and is ranked No.14. His brother, Usman, competed in Bellator MMA, which has now been acquired by the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

The brothers have trained alongside their older cousin for many years, and this training has forged an unbreakable bond between them. Mendez attributed their care for one another as the reason Khabib Nurmagomedov, alongside Umar and Usman, are all undefeated in MMA.

He wrote:

"This is why these 3 are a family of Champions. The competitive nature and a fun they have. I’m have never seen this as a Coach from any others that I have trained that were family blood related. @khabib_nurmagomedov @usman_nurmagomedov @umar_nurmagomedov champions in life and sport. My heart and family of 🦅🦅🦅 no chickens 🐔 allowed."

See the post below:

---

Khabib Nurmagomedov is better than Islam Makhachev according to famed MMA coach, Firas Zahabi

Firas Zahabi, the longtime coach of former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, is without doubt one of the sharpest minds in MMA. In a video that he posted to his YouTube channel, Zahabi broke down the differences between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev has been referred to as "Khabib 2.0" by many, and there has long been a debate about which lightweight is better.

The most noticable difference between the pair is the loss on Makhachev's record, which came via KO against Adriano Martins in 2015 at UFC 192. Otherwise, many believe the current lightweight champion is a more complete version of 'The Eagle'.

During a fan Q&A on his YouTube channel, Firas Zahabi broke down the differences between the pair, saying:

"Khabib didn't care [about] getting hit. That's why I think he's better than Makhachev. Ultimately he's better than Makhachev. One, his chin is ridiculous, absurd. He's never shown any form of getting tired at all. Whereas Makhachev in Round 5 with Volkanovski, he got tired, he was on his back. I think [Khabib Nurmagomedov] is just a higher level than Makhachev."

Watch the video below: