Khabib Reveals Father's Advice Before McGregor Win

Khabib Nurmagomedov says his late father Abdulmanap played a crucial role in his mental preparation before submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 229.

The retired lightweight champion shared details of his father's pre-fight counsel during an appearance on The Lex Fridman Podcast, explaining how Abdulmanap kept him focused despite the global attention on the October 2018 bout. Abdulmanap could not attend the fight in person because he lacked a visa to enter the United States.

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Abdulmanap's Role in Khabib's Mental Preparation

"For me, since he didn't have a Visa, I just had to know exactly what he thought," Nurmagomedov said, according to BJ Penn. "I didn't care what anyone else thought or the opinions of the hundreds of millions watching this fight. I only cared about what he thought and what he said to me." The undefeated Hall of Famer emphasized that his father understood how to manage the psychological pressure because Abdulmanap had faced similar circumstances with his own father.

"He told me, 'You have a choice. You can either break down and give up, or you can get through it all with dignity. Go in, win, and settle it once and for all,'" Nurmagomedov recalled. Khabib submitted McGregor via fourth-round rear-naked choke to retain his lightweight title and improve to 27-0.

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Abdulmanap died in July 2020 from complications related to COVID-19. Nurmagomedov retired four months later following his second-round submission of Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, citing a promise to his mother that he would not compete without his father in his corner. He will be cornering Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on Saturday.

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• BJPenn — Khabib Nurmagomedov shares father’s life-changing advice before Conor McGregor showdown