Khabib Nurmagomedov's actions at UFC 302 almost got the team in trouble, says coach: "The commission kept yelling at us"

Islam Makhachev retained his lightweight title at UFC 302, but his win wasn't without drama outside the octagon involving Khabib Nurmagomedov. Coach Javier Mendez revealed on his podcast that Khabib Nurmagomedov's animated corner work almost got the team in trouble with the New Jersey Commission.

Nurmagomedov, back in Makhachev's corner for the first time in a while, was highly vocal, urging his teammate to take the fight to the ground against Dustin Poirier.

Mendez acknowledged the danger of Makhachev standing with a striker like Poirier and praised Nurmagomedov's coaching ability. However, the former champion's intensity clashed with the commission's regulations, leading to warnings from officials.

Mendez said:

"I had Khabib in the corner going crazy on me. Like, I forgot how crazy he is in the corner, so nuts man. I'm like, I'm trying to calm him down and say hey, don't worry, don't worry, just scream loud but, 'No coach, I have...' but that's his style, that's his dad's style, that's his style. But I'm trying to get him to settle down a little bit, so the commission kept yelling at us, 'Sit down! Sit down! Sit down!' And it almost reminded me of the old style. But Khabib's an unbelievable corner, he gives unbelievable advice." [H/t: MMA Mania]

Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (3:55):

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Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Islam Makhachev's growth after thrilling victory at UFC 302

Khabib Nurmagomedov was impressed by Islam Makhachev's performance at UFC 302. In a post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov highlighted the fight's significance for Makhachev's development.

Nurmagomedov believes the grueling nature of the fight pushed Makhachev to new levels. He emphasized the importance of such experiences in a fighter's journey:

"To be honest, today, Islam grew a lot. You don't even understand. When you go deep like today, it shows people and you understand your body and your things inside, how deep you can go. Even more, you know, there is more place... All the time, people underestimate themselves, you know. Our body, our soul, we can grow more deeper. Then, like, five rounds or 10 rounds, doesn't matter. You just have to find this. You just have to be relaxed and find this way, the way how you have to go and you can go deep. It was a very deep fight."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below: