Khabib coach claims protégé might be better striker and pupil than UFC great

Javier Mendez said that Islam Makhachev mixes up his training more than Nurmagomedov did in his heyday

The coach of retired UFC great Khabib Nurmagomedov, Javier Mendez, has stated that Islam Makhachev might be a better striker and a more obedient pupil than his ex-lightweight champion mentor.

As the head coach of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Mendez has worked with both men.

Since retiring in 2020 unbeaten at 29-0, Nurmagomedov has moved into coaching himself and is currently trying to help Mendez steer Makhachev towards clinching the 155lbs strap he once called his own.

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A fortnight out from Mackachev taking on Charles Oliveira for the lightweight championship at the headline bout at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on October 22, Mendez spoke about the differences between the two Dagestanis and explained why he thinks Makhachev is the better striker.

“The difference between Islam and Khabib is when Khabib was in Dagestan training at Abdulmanap’s gym – his father’s gym – Khabib would only train with me really,” Mendez said to MMA Junkie.

“He wouldn’t really train standup with anybody. He’d train with me. So his time involved in striking was very limited, whereas Islam was smart enough to train with other people and he has great coaches at home that are working with him.”

“So with him, his striking is further ahead than Khabib’s ever was only because of the fact that Islam was working year-round on his striking.”

“Khabib was only part time working, and that’s what people don’t understand,” Mendez continued.

“That’s what’s so amazing about Khabib. He was only doing it part time and that’s why his improvement from fight to fight you go, ‘Wow, he keeps improving,’ because for him, there was a huge gap in striking and what he could learn and what he was able to do, where Islam, he’s been steadily growing all the time and he’s by far one of the best all-around fighters that I’ve ever trained.”

Mendez explained how he and Nurmagomedov share the same philosophies about MMA. But when he was coaching him, Mendez often had problems getting Nurmagomedov to do as he wished.

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“As a coach coaching him, there were times where we had different ideas,” Mendez confessed.

“He wanted to show people that he could stand, etcetera, etcetera, and I didn’t like that. I wanted him to do [what] he was most superior [at]. As a coach, it’s much easier for me than it was when he was a fighter because as a fighter, he didn’t listen to me all the time.”

“He listened to me most of the time, but not all the time. As a coach, {Makhachev} and I, we’ve been on point 100 percent of the time,” Mendez added.