SURREY, British Columbia – Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t want his son to follow in his footsteps.
Nurmagomedov retired in October 2020 as an undefeated and undisputed UFC lightweight champion. He is arguably the most dominant fighter to ever step into the cage.
Despite his success as a fighter and a coach, Nurmagomedov prefers if his son pursued different avenues than combat sports. However, he understands that may be difficult as his son is starting to grow curious about MMA.
“I know for sure he’s going to train,” Nurmagomedov said Thursday during an appearance for Class A Events in Canada. “He will study, but about professional athlete, I don’t know honestly. He just asks me too much questions because when I retired, he was only three years old and he don’t understand nothing. A couple of weeks ago he asked me, ‘Father, can you fight like Islam Makhachev? I’m like, ‘Why you ask?’ (He said,) ‘Because he’s a very good fighter. I never seen you fight like him.’ I’m like, ‘OK, this is a very good question.’
“I told him four years ago, you were only two or three. He was a baby when I was fighting. He tried to ask me can I watch your fights, he’s just beginning to bother me. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with him, but personally, I don’t want him to become a professional athlete. But, if he choose, what we can do? I’m not going to hold him (back) or do something, but honestly, I don’t want. I just want him to become a normal human because professional athletes, they are not normal people.”
Nurmagomedov’s cousins have blazed their own successful paths in MMA. Umar Nurmagomedov, who’s fresh off a win over Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238, is a top 10 ranked bantamweight. Also undefeated, Usman Nurmagomedov is Bellator’s current lightweight champion.
