Team Khabib is coming for everything, and they don’t care what you think of them or their fighting style. That’s the message that Khabib Nurmagomedov shared with media in the lead-up to PFL Dubai on February 7th, where his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov is set to headline against Alfie Davis. Nurmagomedov clearly has dominance in the […]
Team Khabib is coming for everything, and they don’t care what you think of them or their fighting style. That’s the message that Khabib Nurmagomedov shared with media in the lead-up to PFL Dubai on February 7th, where his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov is set to headline against Alfie Davis.
Nurmagomedov clearly has dominance in the sport on his mind. Islam Makhachev has the UFC lightweight title, and Usman Nurmagomedov has the PFL lightweight title. Umar Nurmagomedov is looking to become UFC bantamweight champ, and then there’s new up-and-comers as well. But not everyone is a fan of the Dagestani team’s style of fighting. There’s speculation of anti-Russian bias when it comes to signing and booking talent, and UFC employees have suggesting wrestling-heavy fighters may not stick around in the promotion.
Asked what he thought of the wave of negative talk from other camps and some fans, Khabib shrugged it off.
“Honestly, I don’t care about this,” Nurmagomedov said (video via Red Corner MMA). “If people like, they like. If they hate, they hate. If somebody don’t like you, it’s very hard to become their friends. It’s very hard. But the numbers talk. Numbers talk. Belts. We can say belts talk. And ranking.”
“They talk by themselves, you know,” he continued. “I don’t have to change somebody’s mind. If they like our team, they like. If they don’t like, okay. Who cares? That’s why we love this sport. There is competition. There is a lot of different fighters and teams. They can choose whatever they want. But we’re here, we’re here to take everything.”
Right now we talk about PFL and in PFL we have very good fighters. This show coming up, it’s going to be Usman there and two guys I really want people to pay attention, I don’t think somebody in the world can beat these guys: it’s Renat Khavalov, bantamweight, and Amru Magomedov, lightweight. I don’t see many people in the world beating them. Maybe one, two, or three times can give them hard time.”
Nurmagomedov admitted he didn’t always enjoy the role of coach but said it was essential for him to help his team.
“They are like my young brothers,” he said. “Everybody talks about Usman, my cousin, but there is others. Khabib Nabiev, he is my cousin too. Amru Magomedov, he’s not my cousin but he’s my relative, he’s from my village, we grew up together.”
“There is so many people so very close to me and I have to be here and I have to support them, I have to give them good advice to stay focused, train right, and be the champion. That’s why I’m here.”
Category: General Sports
