Usman Nurmagomedov says his cousin, former UFC champion Khabib coached him on his mistakes following a dominant win at Bellator 263.
Bellator lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov was pumped up after another stellar performance against Manny Muro at Bellator 263, getting the first-round finish just minutes into the bout.
In his second appearance in the Bellator cage, Nurmagomedov looked like a seasoned veteran with some brutal strikes on the feet and landing a nasty liver shot to Muro that dropped him immediately. He remains undefeated in his professional career and is well on his way to potential stardom at just 23 years old.
But his cousin, former UFC champion Khabib kept him from getting too complacent with the performance, coaching him up directly following the win.
“He congratulated me for the win, but he then pointed out my mistakes,” Nurmagomedov said during his post-fight press conference. “We’ll work on our mistakes and move forward. He’s one of the most important people in my life and my career. I’m also very grateful for my head coach, Javier Mendez for everything he’s done for me.”
Khabib has taken to coaching ever since retiring from the UFC following his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, assisting fellow Dagestanis Islam Mamedov and Gadzhi Rabadanov at Bellator 263.
Usman Nurmagomedov remains one of Bellator’s finest prospects
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov is looking forward to moving up the Bellator lightweight rankings and moves one step closer to a future title shot at 155 pounds. He’ll likely need a few more wins to enter the title picture, but his potential is nothing to be denied when looking at the best fighters in the lightweight division.