"This everything is from my uncle Abdulmanap. My father pushed us into sports, but he didn't have any plans that we'd be champions. But my uncle Abdulmanap, he believed in us. He always came to my father and told him, 'Hey, I see your boys have big potential. Be careful with them.' Today, uncle Abdulmanap is not with us, but his son keeps doing his job with us."
"Abdulmanap is often considered the pioneer of MMA in Dagestan. Abulmanap coached a group of elite fighters, including his son Khabib, in the mountains of Dagestan before bringing them over to the U.S. Khabib won the UFC lightweight title, paving the way for fighters from the Caucasus mountains to make their mark in the sport. After Khabib's retirement as the undefeated champion in 2020, his teammate, Islam Makhachev became the champion in 2022."
Usman Nurmagomedov credits his uncle Abdulmanap for recognizing his and his brother Umar's potential and steering their path toward MMA and championship success. Their father encouraged participation in sports but did not expect championship careers. Abdulmanap convinced their father to let them pursue combat sports and provided mentorship. Abdulmanap trained elite fighters, including his son Khabib, in Dagestan and helped bring them to the United States. Khabib won the UFC lightweight title and Islam Makhachev later became champion, fulfilling a "Father's Plan." Usman recently defended the PFL lightweight title against Alfie Davis.
Read at Sherdog
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]