In the Republic of Dagestan, two men are notable for raising incredible mixed martial artists from the Eastern European Caucuses. One of them is Gusein Magomaev, founder of the ‘Five Directions of the World’ martial arts school, home to top names like Muslim Salikhov, Magomed Magomedov, and Zabit Magomedsharipov. The other is Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. In 2020, ‘The Eagle’ lost his father to COVID-19, an event that caused the 29-0 fighter to hang his gloves up. Four years after his passing, AKA head coach, Javier Mendez paid tribute to him in a heartfelt message.

Mendez took to Instagram and shared a picture of him with Nurmagomedov Sr., along with a picture honoring Gadzhi Rabadanov’s recent victory at PFL. In the captions, the coach wrote, “I had the privilege of knowing Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in 2014, two years after Khabib started training with me and I can confidently say he was the best coach I ever met – a remarkable human being. A true humanitarian with a beautiful heart, he embodied discipline and humility as a coach. What I admired most about him was his unwavering trust in me as a coach for his son, Khabib Nurmagomedov who was destined for greatness.”

Mendez claimed that it was Khabib Numragomedov’s father’s trust that made it possible for ‘The Eagle’ to train at the AKA. Being an ex-Soviet army man with world-class judo and wrestling skills, he could have taken the lead with Nurmagomedov’s career in the UFC but chose to bestow his son’s training upon Javier Mendez, who he trusted to develop a well-rounded game for ‘The Eagle’. In homage to this move by the senior Nurmagomedov, Mendez wrote “I often refer to this as “Father’s Plan,” a testament to his belief in our journey together.”

The AKA head coach continued, “Abdulmanap was one of the greatest coaches and a great man, and I will always honor his memory. His passing due to COVID-19 was a tremendous loss, but his legacy lives on through Khabib & me and the countless lives he touched. I carry his lessons with me and strive to uphold the values he instilled in us. Rest in peace, Abdulmanap. Your impact will never be forgotten. Your legacy of champions.”

Islam Makhachev often credits his victories to Khabib Nurmagomedov and his late father. ‘The Eagle’ found most of his victories through his patented Dagestani folkstyle wrestling, and most people think that his ‘father’s plan’ involved finding wins through a grappling-heavy approach. However, coach Javier Mendez begs to differ on that front.

What did Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father have in his plans?

Hailing from Dagestan, everyone assumes that the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s plans might have been all about grappling. But that was far from the truth, according to Javier Mendez. In an interview with ‘Gorilla Fighting’, the AKA head coach said, “‘Father’s plan’ is not grappling, okay, it’s not grappling. A lot of people think it’s grappling. It’s never been grappling. He’s greater than that. He was never one about ‘We’re just grappling’. No! Father’s plan is much more than that. It’s what you have that’s your advantage over your opponent. That’s father’s plan.”

Mendez pointed out that Nurmagomedov’s father was a pretty complex person, with his foresight bringing success to the Dagestani team. Speaking further on the late senior Nurmagomedov’s plan, the AKA coach said, “It’s about using your best strengths against your opponent’s weaknesses and understanding what they are. That’s father’s plan. No one knows that.”

The Dagestani team has indeed become an unstoppable force in the realm of mixed martial arts. Following in the footsteps of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title reign in the UFC’s lightweight division, Islam Makhachev took up the mantle of the champion and has been on the throne for 2 years now. Usman Nurmagomedov took over the lightweight realm at Bellator FC and became the divisional champion. With Gadzhi Rabadanov’s lightweight championship victory over Brent Primus at the 2024 PFL championship, the team found lightweight gold in three of the biggest MMA promotions in the world. Without a shred of a doubt, it was all because of the legendary Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.