Khabib Nurmagomedov will take on arguably his toughest fight to date in the UFC. The fight came at a difficult time for the Dagestani fighter, as he recently lost his coach and father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals what fight week looks like for him
In a recent interview, Mike Swick asked Khabib what his days looked like leading to the fight night. He replied saying:
“Right now, all hard work is finished. Now is like a mental game. Fight week you think about the fight, you think about cutting weight, you think about your shape, you think about everything.
“Now you have to be focused, strong in your mental, and stay ready everywhere. Don’t get too excited, don’t think too much about the fight. Just relax cutting weight, make weight. Then go to the cage and do championship-style fight.”
Khabib also mentioned what he tells young fighters. He said that MMA is not about your wrestling skills or grappling or striking only. First and foremost, MMA is about mental toughness and then about the physical skills that one possesses. This is something ‘The Eagle’ tries to instill in fighters and relatives who train under his tutelage, the likes of Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and many others.
The mental aspect of MMA is very underrated. A fighter’s ability to maintain composure during fight week is a key element to performing well. The ability to rest well, sleep well, and recover well, all play a major factor in the final product inside the ring.
Even if a fighter lacks the skills to beat his opponent on paper, but takes control of his emotions and has a belief in himself, his chances of winning shoot up. Conor serves as an excellent example of the wonders self-confidence and mental strength can do in the sport of MMA.
