Javier Mendez attributes much of the credit for the success of Dagestan’s fighters to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Mendes has developed a close bond with the Dagestan fighter over the years since Nurmagomedov first enrolled at the American Kickboxing Academy in 2012. Nurmagomedov dominated the UFC’s lightweight division during his title reign and cemented his place in the MMA GOAT conversation before retiring with an undefeated record.
Nurmagomedov’s teammates and cousins followed Mendes’ lead, and AKA was packed with talent. Mendes currently coaches UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (26-1), Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0) and UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov (13-0). Nurmagomedov solidified himself as the next gold medal contender with a unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7 last weekend.
But Mendes is humbled to credit Abdulmanap with nurturing the incredible troupe of Dagestan talent he was blessed with. Widely regarded as the pioneer of Dagestan mixed martial arts, Nurmagomedov famously laid out a roadmap for his son and other students to championship glory, now known as “The Father’s Plan.” Abdulmanap died in July 2020 at age 57 from complications of COVID-19. “The Eagle” retired a few months later after defending his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, citing a promise he made to his mother not to fight without his father present.
Mendes said that if Abdulmanap were alive today, he would be talking about the Dagestan stars he coached.
“I think it was his father, Abdulmanap. This was ‘The Father’s Plan,’ the way he raised his sons from a young age,” Mendes told Schmo. “And I think if he were still alive, he would be doing interviews talking about his kids and how he got them to where they are. I just happened to be part of the tail end of it. Don’t get me wrong, I had a role to play, but this is essentially ‘The Father’s Plan,’ and that’s why I always say ‘The Father’s Plan,’ out of respect and admiration for the great Abdulmanap.”
