Javier Mendez says Khabib Nurmagomedov should hold out for a blockbuster fighter with Georges St-Pierre or retire from mixed martial arts.
Nurmagomedov, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, announced his retirement from competition after choking out Justin Gaethje in October. Despite his retirement announcement, he still hasn’t vacated the lightweight throne, as UFC President Dana White has been attempting to convince him to fight one last time.
Mendez, who has long served as one of Nurmagomedov’s primary coaches at American Kickboxing Academy, believes the champ should stick to his retirement plans unless the UFC can arrange a blockbuster fight with the former welterweight and middleweight champ, St-Pierre.
Is Former UFC Champion Luke Rockhold Still an Elite Fighter?
On Sept. 16, former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold made his first appearance in the Octagon in more than a year. In his return bout, Rockhold faced former World Series of Fighting middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder David Branch. After a rough start, where Rockhold was closer to being stopped on the feet than he would like to admit, Rockhold regained control of the fight and summarily dispatched the former two-division champ in dominant fashion.
With Rockhold’s return to the UFC complete and a win secured, the question now revolves around what comes next for the former UFC titleholder. Is he still capable of being the elite middleweight who sliced through a division in two organizations on his way to titles? Or has Rockhold been exposed as subject to falling victim to the technical limitations of his game and the physical limitations of his body?
American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez has shared some advice for his star pupil in Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA) retired from mixed martial arts immediately following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The Russian sensation cited the death of his Father as the reason for hanging up his gloves.
Despite ‘The Eagle’ appearing to be set on riding off into the sunset, UFC President Dana White has remained confident that he could lure Khabib back for one final fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov allegedly told the UFC boss that if one of the lightweights could do something special at last weekend’s pay-per-view event, then he would consider coming back.
Нурмагомедов не торопится возвращаться в UFC Кто станет новым королем ММА?: Бокс и ММА: Спорт: Lenta ru lenta.ru - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lenta.ru Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov’s longtime coach Javier Mendez thinks that Conor McGregor’s recent loss might have been months in the making.
The American Kickboxing Academy founder appeared on
Submission Radio to break down the main event of UFC 257, which saw McGregor fall in his rematch with Dustin Poirier after succumbing to strikes in the second round. Poirier made tactical use of leg kicks to limit McGregor’s mobility and later finished with punches against the cage. McGregor later admitted that Poirier’s strategy left his leg “completely dead.”
Mendez saw the effectiveness of Poirier’s leg kicks right away and he wonders how McGregor and his team could have been so unprepared for them.