Khabib gives Umar Nurmagomedov some advice
“Islam [Makhachev] and I have already been in [Umar’s] place. This is called a transition period. Over time, everyone will want to fight you. Just keep pushing forward.”
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Khabib Nurmagomedov recently shared some advice from experience with cousin Umar Nurmagomedov, who is currently rallying for a bantamweight title shot.
Currently No. 2 in the UFC rankings at bantamweight, Nurmagomedov is widely considered the next deserving title contender. Nurmagomedov was also in attendance and given screen time when Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley via unanimous decision at UFC 306 this past September.
However, Dvalishvili refused to give any immediate recognition to Nurmagomedov as his next potential opponent. “The Machine” has since consistently downplayed Nurmagomedov’s claim to a gold bid, accusing the Dagestani of enjoying privileges due to his relation to “The Eagle.” Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has accused the champ of trying to duck him in favor of a rematch against O’Malley.
Eager to fight, Nurmagomedov was reportedly close to finalizing a matchup against top contender Yadong Song at UFC Tampa in December. However, Nurmagomedov recently announced that the booking is off due to an injury to “The Kung Fu Kid.” The undefeated contender is now yet again rallying for a title shot against Dvalishvili. However, he has also verbally agreed to postpone the Song matchup to UFC 311 in January.
Amid all the confusion regarding Nurmagomedov’s immediate future, Khabib shared some advice with his younger cousin. According to the former lightweight champ, this is a transitional period which both he and teammate Islam Makhachev have had to go through at one point. Khabib, Makhachev and other elite wrestlers like them have always complained about a lack of opponents before they became champion. “The Eagle” advises Umar to continue striving and there will come a time when everyone will want to fight him.
“He [Umar] doesn’t care. He just wants to compete,” Nurmagomedov said on his Instagram stories (via Championship Rounds). “Islam and I have already been to this place. This is called the transition period. Time will pass and everyone will want to fight you. Just keep pushing forward.
