That will come after Nurmagomedov has coached his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event, where the 29-year-old faces Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title.
And next week, Nurmagomedov will be in another cousin’s corner when Usman Nurmagomedov – brother of Umar – defends his Bellator lightweight belt against Irishman Paul Hughes in Dubai.
When asked what makes his family and team in Dagestan so successful, Nurmagomedov strips it down to one word: sacrifice.
“People talk about discipline but that is not enough. It’s all about sacrifice,” Nurmagomedov told the UFC in an interview this week., external
He went on to tell a story about a Mexican fighter he was coaching, who wanted to go back to his country to see his family.
“I told him his family will have to wait if you want to be the best in the world,” added Nurmagomedov.
-“I am not against family people, I just say if you want to be the best in this business, you have to sacrifice.
“Sacrifice your time, health, everything you have. When people try to give me an excuse I say: ‘This guy is just a regular fighter, like thousands of others. He will make money, he will be good, but he is never going to be champion.’
“And when I see Islam, Umar, Usman, myself, we’ve sacrificed all our life to be the best in the world.”
Swiss
