Coaching your loved ones comes at a cost.
Khabib Nurmagomedov put on his coach’s shoes after hanging up his gloves as the undefeated UFC lightweight champion in 2020. Nurmagomedov has since been invested in the careers of his teammates and cousins including Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, among others.
Nurmagomedov (29-0) is evidently animated while imparting instructions to his teammates from the corner. “The Eagle” recently revealed that coaching his friends and family takes an emotional toll on him. Having fought inside the cage throughout his life, Nurmagomedov feels incapacitated when his role is reduced to just advising from outside the cage.