Umar Nurmagomdov is currently making his cousin, former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, proud by following in his footsteps, which could potentially lead him to the title belt. Umar, who once trained alongside Khabib, is now under his direct tutelage and is set to headline his first UFC event against Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight fight at UFC Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Khabib’s occasional motivational messages continue to inspire him.

Following in the footsteps of motivating his cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov recently re-shared a photo on his Instagram story with the message “Long time ago.” The Image, posted by their manager Ali Abdelaziz, featured Khabib, Umar Nurmagomedov, and teammate Islam Makhachev. Accompanying the photo, Abdelaziz described Umar as “the nicest man” and wrote, “InshaaAllah tomorrow night he will show why he is the best Bantamweight in the UFC. Let’s go my brother! It’s your time to shine and for the world to see what we see day in and day out.”

Umar Nurmagomedov built his reputation fighting for organizations like Eagle FC and PFL before joining the UFC in 2020. However, injuries and the heartbreaking loss of his uncle and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, postponed his UFC debut until 2021. When he finally stepped into the octagon against Sergey Morozov, Nurmagomedov secured a victory via a rear-naked choke, earning a “performance of the Night” bonus.

Undeated in his last five fights in the promotion, Umar Nurmagomedov faces a stiff challenge in Cory Sandhagen. The 32-year-old boasts more UFC experience and is on a three-fight winning streak himself. Interestingly, just a day before the fight, Sandhagen revealed his plans to apologize to Khabib Nurmagomedov after the bout.

Cory Sandhagen’s plan after defeating Umar Nurmagomedov

Cory Sandhagen aims to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov not just physically but also mentally, targeting the entire team. This intent was recently revealed by Sandhagen, hinting at a post-fight demonstration. Their fight was initially scheduled for August 2023, but was canceled because of Umar’s injury. Sandhagen subsequently faced Rob Font and is now gearing up to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov, accompanied by taunts revealed in an interview with two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

“I’m gonna prove that I’m better than [Umar],” Sandhagen revealed adding, “On Saturday, I plan on shaking Khabib’s hand, I plan on shaking Umar’s hand and apologizing and saying, ‘I’m sorry that I had to beat you.’ Go win a couple more fights, and we can fight [again] for the belt; that’s how I see it in my head. That’s how I’ve been seeing it in my head for the last 12 weeks.”

Cory Sandhagen’s plan to tease Khabib Nurmagomedov is undeniably sinister, but it will be entertaining to see how it unfolds. Who do you think will emerge victorious between Corey Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov? Drop your predictions in the comments below.