Khabib Nurmagomedov was truly a phenom inside the Octagon, and it seems that is still the case. ‘The Eagle’ once said how he started letting his teammates win rounds against him after his retirement. This was a confidence boost for them. Still, the Russian swears that he is still young enough to come back and pick up where he left off. If you don’t agree, listen to how he schooled a reigning UFC champion!

After becoming an all-time great, Nurmagomedov is now shaping the path of other would-be champions as well as the ones who have already claimed gold. And one of those names is that of Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. ‘Remember the Name’ is a part of the Eagle’s training next; however, it isn’t always easy to keep up with someone like Nurmagomedov. Muhammad recently revealed how the undefeated fighter embarrassed him right before a title fight and even ordered coffee while doing so.

He said, “Khabib would be like, get in the cage with him. And whenever you go with him, it’s just like a… it’s kind of like embarrassing. It is not even humbling because he just kills you, and it’s to the point where like he is on top of me and he is about to give me the corner, and he is like ordering coffee to his boy outside the cage. And I’m looking at myself like, ‘I’m going to be fighting for a title soon, and this guy’s like ordering drinks.'”

However, Belal Muhammad further added that it is moments like these that make him really humble and accept the fact that he still has a long way to go despite being the champion. “But it makes you think that… it keeps me in that mindset of ‘I still have a lot to learn’, right? I still have a lot to work on. And they probably like looking at me like, ‘Bro, how’s this guy the champion right now? Cause Khabib’s just like tossing him around.'”

The undefeated MMA GOAT candidate announced his retirement from the UFC in October 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje with a second-round submission. However, since then, he has taken on the role of a part-time coach, as he often lends a helping hand to Javier Mendez. It surely looks like under Khabib Nurmagomedov, Muhammad would surely become one of the all-time greats of his division. But do you know that the Eagle helped Muhammad even before he came under his wing?

When Nurmagomedov inspired Muhammad to win

Khabib Nurmagomedov played a much bigger role in helping Belal Muhammad clinch his first UFC title without even knowing it. UFC 304 in Manchester, England, was a special night for the tireless fighter. Not only did Muhammad earn his first UFC title, but he did so by beating Leon Edwards, a man who had been undefeated for nearly a decade. ‘Remember the Name’ put on an unprecedented dominant display, executing a game plan based primarily on wrestling during the 25-minute match.

While Belal Muhammad deserves much of the credit for his performance, Khabib Nurmagomedov also deserves praise. According to Muhammad, studying Khabib’s recordings might have been the deciding factor in his success. “The Eagle’s brilliant display against Edson Barboza played a huge role in the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion’s victory over Leon Edwards. For the whole week of the fight, the only thing I was watching was Khabib against Barboza.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov has been an inspiration to many and has helped mold numerous champions in the sport of mixed martial arts. After looking better than ever (with some of the credit going to Khabib), Belal Muhammad now has a target on his back. The welterweight division is packed with hungry contenders, and Muhammad now tops the chart. While nothing is confirmed, he still has to be all prepared for his 170-pound crown.