Khabib Nurmagomedov names two people close to him, Cain Velasquez and Javier Mendes, and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, as deserving of places in the UFC Hall of Fame
As part of the UFC’s International Fight Week, the MMA community celebrates those who have made a tremendous impact on the sport both in and out of the cage.
This year’s leader was former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who finished his professional MMA career with a score of 29-0, capping it off with a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Nurmagomedov feels that the biggest motivator for his success was his father, Abdulmanab Nurmagomedov, and all the sacrifices and dedication he had in supporting his son.
Abdulmanab Nurmagomedov died of complications from the coronavirus in 2020. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the cage to fulfill a promise to his mother that he would not continue his career without his father by his side.
“Very great honor. “I feel like all my hard work has paid off,” Nurmagomedov said at the red carpet show before the Hall of Fame. “I am from a very poor life. I remember 23 years ago how my father sold his house, brought me and all my brothers, and we moved to the capital because [there] In fact, there weren’t many opportunities.
“Move to [the] The capital, and we all live together in one house. I stayed there, eat, sleep, train, sleep, repeat, go to school… It was like an army life. I am very happy now, and now I realize that seeing my father was very difficult. He invested in people.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov Explains Why Cain Velasquez, Frankie Edgar and Javier Mendes Should Get Places in the UFC Hall of Fame
Although retired from cage, Nurmagomedov continues to pursue the same vision of his father through training and mentoring. Nurmagomedov can be found in a corner from the likes of his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, as well as rising lightweight contender Islam Makhachev.
The 2022 UFC Hall of Fame category also included fellow American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier and Cobb Swanson vs. Do-Ho Choi of UFC 206 and Forrest Griffin Community Award winner Giga Chikadze. Max Holloway was also honored with the 2021 Forrest Griffin Community Award.
When asked who he thinks deserves to one day be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Nurmagomedov listed three names: Cain Velasquez, Frankie Edgar and Javier Mendes.
Velasquez is another teammate of Nurmagomedov and Cormier who reigned twice as the UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is currently in prison for the highly controversial and highly publicized attempted murder. The three men trained under Mendes at AKA.
Edgar is a legendary former UFC Lightweight Champion who reigned from 2010 to 2012.
“I think, 100 percent, that it should be Cain Velasquez,” Nurmagomedov said. “not fair [he’s in jail.] Caen Velasquez deserves it.
“Frankie Edgar deserved this. He was so young. He fought in the lightweight division with all these monsters like Benson Henderson and Gray Maynard. These guys were so huge, they were so lightweight, he beat them all and he was a champion.”
“I think coach Javier, and I’ll tell you why. [Between] 2010 and 2020, 10 years ago, this guy had someone [as UFC] Champion in the gym. It was Cain, it was DC, it was Luke [Rockhold]It was me.”
UFC 276: Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier takes place on Saturday, July 2, 2022, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Follow up with FanSided MMA, located on the site, for all the news and highlights.
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