Deep in the mountains of Dagestan, a father envisioned a dream: his son would dominate the MMA realm for generations to come. Forged by the rugged mountains and tempered by the cold, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov dedicated himself to ensuring that his pupils became the best in the world—and that dream has now become a reality. From Khabib Nurmagomedov to Islam Makhachev to Umar Nurmagomedov, ‘Father’s plan’ has been working just fine as the Dagestani fighters are dominating the MMA realm to the core.

So, what does this ‘Father plan’ really mean? Does it mean to dominate the MMA realm or something other than that completely? Well, ahead of UFC 311, let’s have a look at the original meaning of ‘Father’s plan’.

What is Khabib’s ‘father’s plan’?

Daniel Cormier warned UFC head honcho Dana White that the day Dagestani fighters embraced the Octagon would mark the end for substandard fighters, as no one could outwrestle them. This prophecy came true in 2012 when Khabib Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut. Winning his initial bout by way of a dominant submission, the UFC knew that they had brought in a den of monsters within the promotion. Team Khabib head coach Javier Mendez always cornered Khabib Nurmagomedov during his fights. Whenever Khabib faced a tough moment, Mendez would simply scream, “Father’s plan!”

Although Khabib Nurmagomedov was a capable striker, Javier Mendez always reminded him that it was better to follow ‘Father’s plan’ and grapple his way to victory. So, what exactly does the ‘Father’s plan’ mean? In a conversation with his audience at AKA’s YouTube handle, Javier Mendez detailed the real motivation and meaning behind it. During the conversation, the head coach explained the importance of sticking to the game plan and not deviating from it.

“You always hear me say, ‘Father’s plan!,’ because I don’t want [Khabib Nurmagomedov] deciding that he wants to stand with these guys, even though you know how good his stand-up is,” said Javier Mendez. He further added, “But I don’t allow him to do it, and his father doesn’t allow him to do it. The two most important people that are his coaches won’t allow him… we don’t go out there and give blood if we don’t have to. Give as little blood as possible. The win is the most important thing.”

With 30 years of kickboxing experience, Javier Mendez might lean towards a striking game plan. However, when it comes to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the coach has always emphasized that Khabib follows in his father’s training, focusing on grappling no matter what others are doing. In one of his conversations with ESPN, the coach emphasized, “It’s pretty simple; it’s black and white. He’s the best fighter on the ground, probably ever. Why would I want him to do anything else? You can’t equate the amount of time he’s spent working on stand-up with me to the amount of time he spent with his father. There’s no comparison. And that’s the only thing we really talk about that concerns his father — following Father’s Plan. Because 95% of what Khabib does is knowledge he got from his father.”

Now that we understand the importance of ‘Father’s Plan’ and what it truly meant, let us take a closer look at how training under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov shaped and improved fighters.

Khabib reveals training under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov

Imagine this: you wake up in the morning, and the first thing you have to do is head uphill to train your cardio. Sounds a bit tough, right? Well, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his entire team had to endure much more than this to dominate the MMA realm. Discipline is the key to Dagestani training and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov made sure that his pupils maintained a level of respect and discipline in front of veterans. In one of his conversations with the media, Khabib Nurmagomedov emphasized that their life was nothing less than being in the army, “13 years old, I think, now I understand you have to learn how to be independent, but that time it was hard for us.”

He further added, “Like an army. We had an army life. Each had to clean after himself, to wash clothes, to iron them, to go to school and back home, to cook. Everything of this we were doing by ourselves. The main training, when I was in front of father, he was squeezing me out completely. But he gave me a small freedom, to let to the independent life. Maybe it was kind of a preparation for a big run to a professional sport.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov attributes his success to his father’s teachings and relentless dedication. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s profound impact on shaping Khabib into one of MMA’s greatest fighters is undeniable.