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Javier Mendez has used an amusing story to highlight the language barrier that still exists for Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Over the course of the last few years, we’ve seen Khabib Nurmagomedov really improve his ability to speak English as his star power has continued to grow. 'The Eagle' went from barely being able to understand a single word to having full conversations on a regular basis, whether it be with his teammates, coaches or the media.
As much as the world loves Khabib Nurmagomedov, you can’t always be perfect at everything in life; as highlighted perfectly by Javier Mendez in a recent appearance on the Real Quick with Mike Swick podcast.
“The last time, he was telling me 'coach, coach, look up here I got shops, shops!' I go, what? So I’m looking and there’s hills, so I’m thinking what, there’s the shops? I’m looking and it’s sheep! He’s got thousands of sheep and I go. 'Oh, you mean sheep!' So there’s still a language barrier there, he still doesn’t explain some things properly!”
Catch Javier Mendez's full appearance on the podcast below:
The bond between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez
While Khabib Nurmagomedov was always destined to be a top star in mixed martial arts, the influence and overall presence of Javier Mendez has helped him to reach almost mythical levels of greatness during his career.
Even after retirement, it seems as if they’ve still got a close bond, which is a testament to how much Mendez helped grow the legend of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now, when looking ahead to the future, it appears as if he’s attempting to do the same with another student in the form of Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev is set to return to the octagon at UFC 267 next weekend to battle Dan Hooker. If he wins, he'll be one step closer to capturing the UFC lightweight championship, the belt that was held for so long by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Mendez, meanwhile, continues to make a strong case for being one of the most well-rounded coaches in the UFC and MMA as a whole.
