Khabib
Nurmagomedov’s kindness even extends to his fellow coaches.
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American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez recently
revealed yet another benevolent gesture from the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship champ. During a recent episode
of Mendez’s podcast, his co-host congratulated him on his new
apartment.
“Thank Khabib. He got me a new apartment,” Mendez replied.
The relationship between Nurmagomedov and Mendez goes back to 2012,
when the Dagestani’s father first brought him to the U.S. Mendez
played a key role in shaping Nurmagomedov’s career, their
relationship transcending that of just a coach and pupil. While
Nurmagomedov retired from the sport in 2020, he continues to coach
his cousins and teammates from Dagestan alongside Mendez.
Mendez also shared a close bond with Khabib’s father, the legendary
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Abdulmanap had envisioned his son to
become a world champion and for his other pupils like Islam
Makhachev, Usman
Nurmagomedov and Umar
Nurmagomedov to follow suit. The idea which came to be known as
“Father’s Plan” continues to be executed in the present day under
the tutelage of Mendez and Khabib.
This isn’t the first example of Khabib’s generosity. UFC
lightweight champ Islam
Makhachev once revealed that Khabib pays for the entire team’s
trips to the U.S., including renting apartments and hiring drivers.