UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov's students went 2-1 at UFC 311, with his cousin Umar being the only loss for his team.
Khabib Nurmagomedov coached Tagir Ulanbekov, Islam Makhachev and his cousin Umar in three high-profile fights at UFC 311 on Saturday in Los Angeles. Since retiring from fighting in 2020, Nurmagomedov has become one of the most respected MMA coaches in the world, developing some of the combat sports' top talents.
Ulanbekov kicked off the card with a victory over previously undefeated flyweight Clayton Carpenter during the UFC 311 prelims. UFC lightweight champion Makhachev dominantly retained the lightweight title in the main event, defeating Renato Moicano by submission in the first round.
The only setback for Team Khabib came from Umar Nurmagomedov, who suffered his first career defeat to UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event. The early 'Fight of the Year' candidate was a back and forth battle with Dvalishvili rallying late to secure a unanimous decision victory.
It was an exhausting night for Nurmagomedov, whose UFC Hall of Fame career was famous for his constant grind and destruction in the Octagon. After getting a well-deserved good night's sleep, Nurmagomedov made his first public comments on how UFC 311 played out.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Khabib Nurmagomedov evaluates the coaching marathon at UFC 311
In a recent Instagram post, Nurmagomedov reflected on his exhausting night at UFC 311.
“I had a rough night last night, as I expected,” Nurmagomedov began.
“[Islam] has once again proven that he is the best in the world right now, and I am very happy for him and the journey he has made in this sport. In the history of mixed martial arts, very few fighters have achieved what he has achieved. Keep working my brother, this is not the limit.
“[Umar] keep your head up Junior, yesterday you showed that you are one of the best in the world, the moment we have something to work on we will work on the mistakes and get back to the title race.
“[Tagir] did well and made me very happy, but I know he can do even better, this year we still have to win a few more fights. Don't forget our goal, buddy.'
Makhachev broke Nurmagomedov's shared UFC lightweight title defense record with the win over Moicano at UFC 311 (5th career defense). He also earned the pound-for-pound king's nod from UFC CEO Dana White after the event.
UFC 311 could have been one of Khabib Nurmagomedov's last coaching stints
Leading up to UFC 311, Nurmagomedov teased an impending retirement from coaching after a few more appearances. He retired from fighting in 2020 after his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Now that Makhachev has emerged as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Nurmagomedov will turn his attention back to helping Umar bounce back from his first career defeat. This is a moment of adversity that Khabib never experienced during his UFC tenure, ending his fighting career with a record of 29-0.
In the meantime, Nurmagomedov will take a short break before returning to the gym and continuing to coach some of the best fighters in the UFC. Hopefully he doesn't have to endure another marathon like he did at UFC 311.
Related topics
Comments