While Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legendary status in the UFC is irrefutable, his entourage contains several top stars like Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani camp of fighters is a true team in every regard, as they always tend to have each other’s backs. However, a recent Instagram update from ‘The Eagle’ raised questions about the bond he shares with his teammates.
A recent video from Javier Mendez showcased the Dagestani camp of fighters requesting him to send Khabib back to Russia. The fighters also looked physically spent, and it was evident that the reason behind such a request was the Eagle’s harsh training sessions.
Naturally, such circumstances made Khabib take to social media, where he claimed his team did not like him. Although, an emoji in his post made it seem like he was joking.
“I know they don’t like me ))) But who cares “
‘The Eagle’ bid his final goodbye to the octagon in 2020. This is why he mostly fulfills the duties of a coach at present. Unfortunately, for others, things have gotten a lot tougher since Khabib switched to coaching.
However, despite the tough training sessions, Khabib still maintains a one-of-a-kind bond with Islam Makhachev. In fact, their bond is so deep that ‘The Eagle’ has been held responsible for making things easy for Makhachev in the UFC. He has also helped fighters Umar, Usman, Belal Muhammad, and others in their MMA careers.
Having said that, several UFC fighters desire to seek guidance from the UFC Hall of Famer. One of them is the current top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.
Arman Tsarukyan says he could have benefited from Khabib’s mentorship
Ever since his spectacular win at UFC 300, Arman Tsarukyan is more confident than ever about getting a shot at Makhachev and his UFC lightweight gold. The 27-year-old Armenian caught up with ‘Sports Express’ for an interview where he counted himself to be better than the current UFC lightweight king.
While Tsarukyan based his opinion on several factors, including past stats and the number of knockouts, he insisted he could’ve gotten a title shot earlier if he had someone like Khabib “pushing” him.
At the same time, Tsarukyan must not forget that Khabib has also trained Makhachev for a prolonged time apart from rallying for him in the UFC. Those training sessions may have caused problems for the Armenian during his fight against Makhachev.
