Nurmagomed Nurmagomedov, the younger brother of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, has shared insights into his brother’s strict training methods that shaped UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. In an interview with the Ushatayka, Nurmagomed revealed details about Abdulmanap’s demanding approach to coaching that went beyond typical athletic discipline.
According to Nurmagomed, a 1992 World Champion in judo who trained under his brother’s guidance, Abdulmanap’s methods were uncompromising from the start. When Nurmagomed studied in Poltava alongside his brothers, Abdulmanap maintained rigid control over every aspect of his training schedule.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to skip the lesson,” Nurmagomed recalled. “He checked the attendance and demanded attendance terribly.”
The intensity extended to an exhausting regimen. “Saturday was also a training day for me, Sunday was also a day of exercise and then rest,” Nurmagomed explained. “For 2 years, while he was there, you could say that out of 365 days, I had 340 days of training.”
Abdulmanap’s father demonstrated similar strictness with his own sons. One winter incident stood out to Nurmagomed: their father ordered Abdulmanap to dress and wait outside while he retrieved a vehicle for coal transport. When the father returned and found young Abdulmanap still unprepared, he took him “barefoot in the same way in winter and loaded the coal.”
The training philosophy centered on relentless persistence. Nurmagomed described how Abdulmanap would set specific benchmarks: “Come on, do your maximum pull-ups, say, twenty-five times. I’ll come back in 3-4 months, you should be able to do 33 or 35 pull-ups.”
This approach apparently transferred to Khabib. When asked what made Khabib special compared to other talented Dagestani stars, Nurmagomed pointed to desire and work ethic instilled by Abdulmanap. “You can have such a moment during training, and that’s enough for today, but Khabib doesn’t have that,” he said. “He has a program, he has to do this much today.”
Khabib himself acknowledged this to his uncle: “If they work as hard as I do, and shed so much sweat and blood, anyone will be rich. Anyone will become a millionaire.”
The methods produced results. Abdulmanap’s school created champions for two decades, including Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and of course Khabib, who retired undefeated. Yet Nurmagomed’s account suggests the path to success came through an intensity that tested physical and mental limits.
[Editor’s Note: Quotes have been translated and edited for clarity and readability.]
