Islam Makhachev points to Khabib Nurmagomedov's father as the one who placed the team among the best.

Islam Makhachev points out how Khabib Nurmagomedov 's father placed the team among the best. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC/Montage SUPER LUTAS

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Islam Makhachev explained the success of Eagles MMA. The 34-year-old from Dagestan revealed in a recent interview one of the reasons why the team, led at the time by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib's father, achieved success in combat sports.

In an interview with 'Red Corner MMA', Islam Makhachev , the current UFC welterweight champion (up to 77 kg), was candid in explaining that, in addition to training, one of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's initiatives at the time was to have his students study English. Abdulmanap understood that learning the language would be a differentiating factor in self-promotion in the world of fighting.

“It’s not just about studying a language. When our coach (Abdulmanap) was still alive, we had an English teacher who came three to four times a week. Our coach knew that to achieve something nowadays, you need to know how to self-promote. That’s why everyone was learning English. But now the guys are too lazy,” explained Dagestani fighter Islam Makhachev in an interview with 'Red Corner MMA'.

Islam Makhachev highlights how Abdulmanap encouraged the team to learn English knowing it would be crucial for their future.

“Its not just about studying a language. When our coach was still alive, we used to have an English teacher who used to come 3–4 times a week. Our coach… pic.twitter.com/vd2EJof0ki

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 10, 2025

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Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. Today, in addition to his son Khabib, names like Islam Makhachev , Umar Nurmagomedov , Tagir Ulanbekov , and Shavkat Rakhmonov speak fondly of the renowned Eagles MMA coach.

Who was Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the Eagles MMA coach?

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was a Russian military veteran, former judoka, and combat sports coach. Abdulmanap was the head coach of Eagles MMA, training two UFC world champions: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

Abdulmanap is Khabib Nurmagomedov 's father . The renowned coach passed away at the age of 57 on July 3, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19. Influenced by his death, Khabib chose to retire after his victory against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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