Khabib Nurmagomedov’s response to another of his fighters closing in on a major milestone says a lot about the culture he’s built at his gym.
Khabib left the octagon as a legend and is on track to achieve the same status outside of it as a coach.
In just a few years, he has guided fighters to championships across the UFC, Bellator, and PFL, an impressive track record that continues to grow.
Movlid Khaybulaev, an undefeated 23-0 featherweight, is among the standout talents training at the Dagestan gym founded in memory of Khabib’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Khabib’s reaction after Khaybulaev books another final spot
Khaybulaev, who claimed the $1 million PFL featherweight tournament in 2021, has remained unbeaten despite a stretch of inactivity.
Returning after nearly two years out, he edged Jeremy Kennedy by split decision in the quarter-finals this past April.
On Thursday, he followed that up with a dominant semi-final win over Kim Tae-kyun – a performance that caught Khabib’s attention.
“Another final. Only forward,” Khabib wrote in Russian, sharing a photo of Khaybulaev with his hand raised at PFL 5.
Will Khabib ever return to competition?
While Khabib remains a visible presence in MMA, fans still wonder if he’ll ever return to the cage himself.
Back in 2024, talk of a comeback reached a fever pitch, but Khabib was quick to shut it down.
“There is no chance, none. Not even 1%, minus [chance],” he said in a statement at the time.
“If you guys need champions, I’m helping my brothers to become champions… We have Islam [Makhachev] as a champion, we have Umar [Nurmagomedov] as the next contender, we have Usman [Nurmagomedov] as champion – we have a lot of champions.
“You guys are never going to miss me because in our team and our gym, we create champions – you guys are always going to have champions, don’t worry.”
Khabib may be done competing, but his influence on the next generation is undeniable and his gym continues to build on a legacy that shows no signs of fading.
The post Khabib Nurmagomedov shares surprising reaction after teammate moves to PFL final appeared first on HITC.
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