Usman Nurmagomedov, even at the young age of 24 is very accomplished as a mixed martial artist. The youngest champion in Bellator history, Usman will defend his title for the first time against Benson Henderson at Bellator 292. Owing to his meteoric rise in the sport, many have drawn parallels between him and his cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In a recent interview, Usman downplayed and dismissed his coach, Javier Mendez’s claims of him being an “improved version of Khabib”. And it is not hard to see why the AKA head coach thinks so. Usman has a style very similar to the retired former UFC champion. But even at 24, his striking is much more polished than The Eagle’s ever.
However, it seems Nurmagomedov himself believes that he has a ways to go before approaching the Eagle’s level. Speaking to the Red Corner at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov MMA School, Usman said, “I think I have a long way to go. There is a lot to work on just to get close to his level.”
The Bellator lightweight champion is undoubtedly quite humble. And although he does have a long way to go before approaching Khabib’s legacy, Usman is well on his way. He has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect in the sport and the bout at Bellator 292 will be very telling of the future.
Usman Nurmagomedov and his relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov and his younger cousin, Usman, seem to be very close. After all, the undefeated former UFC champion takes his family ties very seriously, even stepping back from the sport to dedicate more time to his family. Despite being quasi-retired from MMA, Khabib apparently still finds the time to help out his brother.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, the Bellator lightweight champion said, “Khabib is my brother; he’s my cousin. We’re not only talking about sport, we are family too. He’s my brother.” It seems blood runs thicker than water as Khabib, who previously coached Usman cannot turn his back on his brother.
Earlier, Usman was also very complimentary of Khabib as a coach. He told MMA Fighting, “Khabib is a clear copy of his father as a coach. There’s some little things that are missing from his dad but he pushes us very hard for training. He mentally helps us. He energizes us. But I think that Khabib is a copy of his father as a coach.“
Usman’s words about his elder brother were then proven right by him and Islam Makhachev as both of them reign as the Bellator and UFC champions respectively. Usman will want to retain his perfect MMA record at Bellator 292 and the fabulous corner he will have on Friday will undoubtedly help his cause.
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