AKA gym founder Javier Mendez in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net spoke out about Khabib Nurmagomedov not being in Islam Makhachev's corner in his upcoming rematch with Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC lightweight championship belt:
I think having Khabib in the corner is very important because Nurmagomedov has been with Islam from the beginning. Khabib makes everyone very motivated. We have to respect Khabib's wishes. But there is something that people don't realize. Nurmagomedov was not in Australia last time. But this time he was with us, trained with the guys. That's a huge motivation.
"He's a great coach, like his father. As a coach and mentor, I would like to see Khabib never give up on that duty. I call it his father's plan. This is Abdulmanap's legacy he left to Khabib," said Mendez.
The fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski will headline UFC 294, which takes place Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Recall, Makhachev and Volkanovski first met in February 2023 at UFC 284. In this confrontation, which went all the five rounds, Makhachev won by unanimous decision of the judges.
Makhachev has 24 wins and one loss. Volkanovski has 26 wins and two losses.
