"Father invested everything we had" - Khabib Nurmagomedov posts emotional tribute on anniversary of his father's passing

Khabib Nurmagomedov has been, since day one, open and honest about how much he credits his success to his late father's work as a coach. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as the godfather of Dagestani MMA. His efforts led to an explosion of combat sports talent in the region that can't be understated.

Yesterday, on the anniversary of his father's death, 'The Eagle' took to his Instagram story, where he reposted a short tribute clip of his father, shared by another account. The Instagram story is of Khabib Nurmagomedov recounting how his father managed to raise six world champions.

A screenshot of Khabib Nurmagomedov's tribute to his father on his Instagram story

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov sold the family house, bringing 15 people with him to the capital, where he rented a large house. There, they did everything together from eating and going to school, to training. Eventually, this venture led to the growth of six MMA world champions.

It's a tale unlike any other. Among Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's most well-known students are his son Khabib Nurmagomedov, reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, and his nephew Usman Nurmagomedov, who is Bellator's current lightweight champion.

Because of his past work as a coach, Dagestan has become a hub of high-level mixed martial arts talent, with a deep focus on wrestling and grappling. With his father's passing, 'The Eagle' unexpectedly retired from MMA, before embarking on a new journey as a high-level coach.

Under his guidance, Islam Makhachev became the UFC lightweight champion, and Belal Muhammad secured his first TKO in six years. However, the more time he spent away from his family, the more he realized how important they were. Thus, 'The Eagle' stepped away from cornering, coaching only in Dagestan.

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Why was Dana White so against the idea of Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring?

UFC president Dana White is on record saying that if a fighter speaks of retiring, they should no longer be fighting and he won't get in the way of their decision. There have, however, been exceptions to his rule. Among those exceptions was Khabib Nurmagomedov, who announced his retirement at UFC 254.

However, with a lucrative rematch with Conor McGregor in mind, Dana White pulled out all the stops to lure 'The Eagle' back into the cage. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, especially after 'The Notorious' suffered a second-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.