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Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are unconquerable champions like Khabib Nurmagomedov. Although he started training in various forms of martial arts at a young age, 'The Eagle' went through all the uncertainties a young athlete goes through in the initial stages of their career.
Thankfully for Khabib Nurmagomedov, his late father Abdulmanap was there to guide him towards a path that led him to greatness in the world of combat sports. In a recent post on Instagram, Nurmagomedov revisited some words of advice his father shared with him when the undefeated Russian was suffering from self-doubt and uncertainty:
"Father's first world champion in combat sambo - Magomed Magomedov. Then I looked at Magomed and Father, who went out onto the carpet and simply did not feel their rivals and thought: is it really possible to come to such a level. How do they all do this, how can they perform in front of such a large audience, how they manage to tune in and win, are they really not nervous or do not feel fear and pain, there were many questions in my head. I was 15 years old then and I did not understand a lot of things, but Father told me: if you really want this and are ready to go to the end, you will also succeed. Father just said everything, nothing complicated, you train, sleep, read and eat and are not distracted by anything, and you repeat the same thing every day. His signature words were: do not try to prove to me or tell me what is on your mind, but just do what I tell you," Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote (translated via Google).
Khabib Nurmagomedov carries forward his father's legacy in combat sports post-retirement
Abdulmanap was one of the most successful combat sambo coaches in Russia. His son happens to be his most successful pupil to date. Islam Makhachev, another student of his, is currently a top-ranked contender in the UFC lightweight division and is expected to fight for the title down the line.
Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to be walking in his father's footsteps as far as coaching is concerned. Although the now-retired fighter confirmed he won't take up coaching professionally, Khabib is more than willing to train and corner his teammates for their fights.
Nurmagomedov was recently seen giving some valuable advice to Islam Makhachev from the corner. It helped him pick up a submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC 267.
