Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father and lifelong coach to Khabib, the #1 P4P fighter in mixed martial arts, died due to complications from COVID-19 on July 3, 2020. In this excerpt from his autobiography KHABIBTIME, the champ reveals that father was a strict disciplinarian. It described an incident that took place on October 10, 2008, the day before Khabib was about to enter his second pro event, an eight-man tournament in Moscow, Russia, called Pankration Atrium Cup 1. “The Eagle” was 20 years old.
One evening in October 2008, Abdulmanap was driving by a park and saw his son who came to the showdown between “gangs”, because his friends asked him to. Several young people were actively shouting and arguing over something and Khabib was among them. Abdulmanap called his son on phone and saw that Khabib looked at the call but did not answer.
Later at home at the family dinner, Abdulmanap reminded about the call and Khabib lied that he had not seen the call.
At that moment my father’s hand was already flying to the back of my head. He was throwing me everywhere: Boom-bang-ceiling-wall. And again floor-head-back. My father beat me as if I was a training mannequin.
“My father is in a great shape,” I remember thinking to myself. I managed to beg my father to stop. When everything quieted down, I tried to start talking.
Father told me to go out of sight. I went to kitchen, my mother saw bruises on my face. She rushed to him. Apparently mom`s indignations made my father even more furious than my lies. My mother ran away as quickly as she could, it was a big family scandal.
During the beating, Abdulmanap broke Khabib’s Nokia N70 phone. The next day Khabib had three fights in one tournament.
The beating didn’t bother me. I knew it was my fault. I was more worried about father’s mental state, I upset him. I had to win these fights whatever it takes. It somehow evened out my relationship with my father.
The next day I won all three fights. We drove back in the same car with my dad and our relatives. They asked me, “Are you tired Khabib?” I replied, “Today no, but yesterday very tired.”
Those who knew what happened laughed to tears. Because today nobody hit me, but the day before my father was doing it for 30 minutes. Dad already was in a better mood, but something was missing. My apologies. I apologized and my father accepted my apologies, but did not allow me to buy a new phone in exchange for the one he crashed. Although for that tournament I earned $2,000.
h/t WHYWELOVEMMA
