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WOW! Khabib Nurmagomedov Still Has It- Dominates Fighter in a Grappling Contest

Published 06/29/2021, 4:13 PM EDT

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Former UFC lightweight champion and one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport last year as the undefeated fighter. The Dagestani mauler hardly ever faced any stiff challenges from his opponents.

Though not as gifted a striker as some of the others have been, Khabib had an excellent grappling game. He also possessed quick-thinking skills, as he anticipated almost every movement of his opponent.

via Getty

Though retired now, ‘The Eagle’ still pretty much trains and mentors his pals like Islam Makhachev and Luke Rockhold (former middleweight champ).

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In a video released on Instagram by Javier Mendez, the founder of American Kickboxing Academy, Khabib was seen involved in a grappling match with a fellow fighter.

The gym also has some of the former UFC champions as its alumni including Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez apart from Khabib.

He dominated the whole match and, in the end, dropped his opponent via a back slam to end the contest. The brief match once again proved that although he retired from the game, he has still kept his fighting senses intact.

VIDEO: Khabib Nurmagomedov Goes Onto Streets to Interact With Fans in a Heartwarming Gesture

Khabib Nurmagomedov recollects his earlier days in Dagestan

Khabib (29-0) now enjoys a lavish lifestyle. He has all the amenities now to train and live happily. But all was not the same when he used to train in the mountains with his late father in his hometown in Dagestan.

Nobody knew at that time the place would later become a hub of grappling specialists, lead by Khabib himself. In a recent interview given to UFC Russia, ‘The Eagle’ detailed all the hardship they used to have while training.

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“I gave it my all. For instance, we never had a shower with hot water,” Khabib told. “There was only one shower for seventy people.

“And when we had our training camps in the mountains, somewhere around 2005, there was no shower there. We bathed in spring water.”

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He further added, “We spent ten years on that base. It was my teenage transition. We just went outside and trained in the mountains: running, lifting stones, fighting on the grass. Only once a week we had a training carpet.”

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According to Khabib, it was all necessary for him to learn and grow. As one may not work hard if they have everything at their disposal.

The lessons and virtues that Khabib learned at that time have surely helped him in reaching the zenith of MMA. ‘The Eagle’ now can deservedly rest.

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Written by:

Akshyay Srichandan Mahapatra

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Akshyay Mahapatra is a UFC author for EssentiallySports. He wished to combine his passion for the UFC (that he has been following since 2008) as well as his love for writing. This motivated him to enter the world of combat sports journalism.
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