Meet coach Khabib's MMA super-team

Nurmagomedov (centre) will be in the corner for two title fights at UFC 311

Islam Makhachev can pinpoint the exact moment he believed he would one day become a UFC champion.

It was when his his close friend, training partner and now coach Khabib Nurmagomedov won the lightweight title in 2018.

"When Khabib took the belt, I understood in my mind, I can do [it too]. Because I did the same things, training with him all my life, following the discipline, I understood I can be UFC champion at that moment," said Makhachev.

"For 15 years this guy was training more than everybody - that's why he had the success, training everywhere, every day, more than everybody. This is the key."

Nurmagomedov, 36, is widely regarded as one of the best MMA fighters of all time. He retired undefeated in 2020 having won all 29 of his professional bouts.

He left the sport after the death of his father and mentor Abdulmanap, before following in his dad's footsteps and moving into coaching, where he is now the figurehead of arguably the current most successful MMA team in the world.

Nurmagomedov will be in Makhachev's corner at UFC 311 in Inglewood, California on Saturday, when the 33-year-old defends his belt against Renato Moicano.

That will come after Nurmagomedov has coached his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event, where the 29-year-old faces Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title.

And next week, Nurmagomedov will be in another cousin's corner when Usman Nurmagomedov - brother of Umar - defends his Bellator lightweight belt against Irishman Paul Hughes in Dubai.

When asked what makes his family and team in Dagestan so successful, Nurmagomedov strips it down to one word: sacrifice.

"People talk about discipline but that is not enough. It's all about sacrifice," Nurmagomedov told the UFC in an interview this week.

He went on to tell a story about a Mexican fighter he was coaching, who wanted to go back to his country to see his family.

"I told him his family will have to wait if you want to be the best in the world," added Nurmagomedov.

"I am not against family people, I just say if you want to be the best in this business, you have to sacrifice.

"Sacrifice your time, health, everything you have. When people try to give me an excuse I say: 'This guy is just a regular fighter, like thousands of others. He will make money, he will be good, but he is never going to be champion.'

"And when I see Islam, Umar, Usman, myself, we've sacrificed all our life to be the best in the world."

'Coaching is a headache for me'

Should Makhachev beat Moicano - an opponent who stepped in at 24 hours' notice when Arman Tsarukyan withdrew with an injury - he will surpass coach Nurmagomedov as the fighter with the most lightweight title defences in a row in UFC history, with four.

Umar, meanwhile, is competing for his first UFC title and hoping to extend the unbeaten start to his career to 19 fights.

Like Umar, Usman is also undefeated after 18 fights, meaning the pair plus Makhachev and Khabib have a remarkable 89-1 record between them.

The quartet's only defeat came in 2015, when Makhachev was knocked out by Adriano Martins.

Umar says his team-mates' achievements should mean they are regarded in the same way as the iconic Brazilian family the Gracies, who pioneered the use of jiu-jitsu in the sport.

"This will become legacy for us. When we become older we will tell our kids, it's awesome," said Umar.

"Our team, our family, is going to be like Gracie. Everybody will know what we did in MMA."

During Makhachev's title defence against Dustin Poirier in June, coach Nurmagomedov was animated outside the octagon, slapping the canvas and roaring advice at his fellow Russian.

Makhachev says Nurmagomedov finds life hard in his new role, adding he "cannot sleep" after fights "because of the emotion".

Despite his success and the prospect of being coach to three world champions if Makhachev, Umar and Usman win, it's an observation Nurmagomedov agrees with.

"I didn't know it would be this hard. When I was fighting I was controlling everything that was happening, but this coaching life is different," said Nurmagomedov.

"I can only talk, I can't do anything. I can just give my brothers advice and stay out of the cage.

"This is not what I'm used to - it's a little headache for me."