'Iron sharpens iron'… Umar Nurmagomedov on what it's like being trained by Khabib ahead of first UFC main event
08/01/2024 09:26 AM
As Cory Sandhagen teams up with veteran trainer Trevor Wittman, Umar Nurmagomedov will have the 29-0 former champion in his corner.
When bantamweight contenders Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen enter the octagon this weekend in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, they'll do so with two enormous names in their respective corners.
Umar Nurmagomedov will have Khabib in his corner for first UFC main event
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will indeed be in the corner of cousin Umar for his upcoming main event fight against popular bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen.
That bout is scheduled for five rounds in the dunes of Abu Dhabi and will be the first main event of Umar's career – the 28-year-old is currently 5-0 in the UFC with two submissions, one KO/TKO, and two decisions.
At the UFC Abu Dhabi pre-fight press conference earlier today, the young Nurmagomedov admitted that as a team, "I think we're lucky" to have someone like Khabib playing such a pivotal role in the training room.
"We’re lucky because we have a coach like Khabib and it's really tough to train with him, but you know, iron sharpens iron- sharpening iron… We're becoming strong and I think it's very good for us."
The 17-0 contender added that having Khabib present in both the practice room and his Fight Night corner remains a key part of securing the family's wider legacy in the sport.
"I think it's going to be very good for [our] legacy. If I and Usman [Nurmagomedov] retire after five or six years undefeated, I think it's going to be very good, but we don't think about this, we just train and prepare to win our fight, every fight."
Umar added via SHAK MMA how the most important aspect of Khabib's coaching isn't the physical routines or technique, but the champions’ mindset he’s ingraining into his students.
"He was inside the game [for so long], and he knows everything [about MMA] and that's why he's been giving us very good advice and in the game, I think he's one of the best. He understood how you can become a great champion."
Should Umar Nurmagomedov, under the tutelage of cousin Khabib, earn the statement victory that he's looking for in the dunes of Abu Dhabi, he'll undoubtedly be in contention for a shot at UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley.
In fact, the undefeated Russian has claimed that the UFC has already told him behind the scenes that he'll face the winner of O'Malley vs Dvalishvili, which is scheduled to go down in September at UFC Noche.
The flashy American striker has also been vocal about a clash between him and Nurmagomedov being the new-age version of Khabib vs Conor McGregor – ironically, Umar himself has since pushed back on such a comparison.
"It's never going to be close to Khabib and Conor because they have personal hate," Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie, sharing how whilst it'll be an entertaining build-up, he doesn't hold the same level of animosity for O'Malley as his mentor did for the Irishman.
"I see Sean's personality, he's not too dirty of a person to talk bad about my family or my religion. But if we will fight it's Irish vs. Dagestan again.
"It's going to be interesting, but I think it's not going to be same [as Conor vs Khabib]… I just want to beat him. I just want to take his belt. But personally, for him, I don't know nothing."
Cory Sandhagen has his own world champion coach in his corner
Whilst Umar Nurmagomedov has the legendary 'Eagle' behind him, his UFC Abu Dhabi opponent Cory Sandhagen will also have a new face in his corner with 'The Sandman' teaming up with world champion trainer, Trevor Wittman.
Wittman has guided many a fighter to championship title glory, including welterweight Kamaru Usman, lightweight Justin Gaethje and strawweight Rose Namajunas – with Sandhagen telling MMA Junkie that the veteran trainer has already 'exceeded' his expectations.
"I've been with Trevor for about four months now. Working with Trevor has been great. He's super impressive. He really knows how to work with the athletes on the technical, strategic side of things.
"I haven't met anyone better honestly. He far exceeded my expectations on what he was going to be, and that's really cool because I didn't really know."
Sandhagen noted that "it's really exciting" to have someone of Wittman's pedigree join an already vastly experienced corner team, teasing that between "Trevor, Ryan Hall, head coach Carrington Banks, they came up with the recipe for success in this one, and I just got to go out there and execute."
"This camp has been a handful – fighting someone that's this well rounded is a handful… I really had to push myself really far in order to learn enough, understand things enough, and also the physical and mental preparation."
Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov goes down live from the UAE on August 3.
