Javier Mendez names best striker he ever trained and it is not Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev: "He picks up things like nothing"

Javier Mendez recently dismissed Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, while naming the most talented striker he has ever trained. In addition, Mendez expressed his admiration for the individual, describing him as a quick learner.

Mendez founded the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) and has coached a number of great fighters, including Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and others. However, one name stood out among them due to his abilities as a striker.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Mendez revealed that the former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is the best striker he has ever trained, saying:

''[Kamaru] Usman. He's got natural ability that I've never seen anybody have, he picks up things like nothing, he flows like nobody I've ever seen flow. He is the most talented I've ever trained by far. I'm not saying he's the greatest I've ever trained, because that's yet to be seen but he's definitely the most talented I've ever trained by far.'' [19:12]

Mendez and 'The Eagle' are currently preparing three fighters from the Nurmagomedov clan for their matchups at UFC 311 this weekend. Namely, Makhachev will look to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event; Umar fights for the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili and Tagir Ulanbekov is scheduled to take on Clayton Carpenter in a flyweight contest in the early prelims.

In the aforementioned interview, Mendez also expressed his thoughts on cornering three fighters on the same night, saying:

''I’m not gonna try at all. I’m just gonna be me. I’m going to take care of myself and make sure I’m there to give my fighters the advice they need. I’ll just stay calm. If Khabib is going to be a ball of nerves everywhere, let him! That’s who he is, so I’m going to leave him alone.” [11:53]

Check out the full interview below:

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Javier Mendez discusses Khabib Nurmagomedov's coaching style

Following his retirement in 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov became a coach and helped his Dagestani teammates become champions in several MMA promotions, carrying forward his father's legacy.

In a recent interview with Action Network ahead of UFC 311, MMA coach Javier Mendez talked about how Nurmagomedov's coaching technique differed from his and 'The Eagle's' father. He said:

“Yes, that's the one thing that he's [Nurmagomedov] doing that his father and I didn't do. I didn't interact with the fighters on that level. I interact with them on a mental level and on working with them on punching and kicking. But Khabib interacts with these guys on every single level. He can go from striking to the ground.” [H/T Action Network]