Usman Nurmagomedov predicts cousin Khabib will become better coach than fighter

Usman Nurmagomedov has the bloodline and the coaching – and for him, they are one in the same.

The weeks leading up to his third promotional appearance have been no different for Nurmagomedov (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who competes Saturday vs. Patrik Pietila (11-8 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at Bellator 269 in Moscow.

He continues to train under cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif. Despite a room full of high-level Russian athletes, Nurmagomedov revealed there’s no inter-camp competition – and he certainly doesn’t feel an urgency to amass more wins than his cousin.

“We’re friends in camp,” Nurmagomedov said at a virtual pre-fight news conference Tuesday. “There is no goal for us to compete with each other on that level. We’re friends and we just do what we do. … I don’t have a personal goal of overcoming and beating Khabib’s record. The goal to me is to stay undefeated. At the end of the day, I’ll always be known as Khabib’s (cousin), if you know what I mean. ”

Since Khabib’s retirement, the former UFC lightweight champion has unsurprisingly found his niche following in the footsteps of his father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. In his short tenure as a coach, Khabib’s win-loss record is lopsided toward victory, something that makes his cousin think history will continue to be made.

“I believe that Khabib can definitely take that spot (as one of the best coaches ever),” Usman Nurmagomedov said. “Whatever he’s putting his mind to, usually and normally, he achieves that. In this case, I definitely believe that he would be a better coach than he is a fighter.”

The Nurmagomedov mentality is a stalwart and strong, so much so that tapping is viewed by the group as an unacceptable outcome. Why? Nurmagomedov explained that mental blemishes are permanent compared to physical ones.

“Well, if you go to sleep, you’re going to wake up,” Nurmagomedov said. “If something breaks, it’s going to heal. To me, it’s easier to go to sleep or it’s easier to actually have something broken because that will heal certainly faster than my self esteem. … In my mentality, there is not thought of losing. In fact, what I do to apply it is that I keep on training. I keep my mind straight and I keep on preparing for fights all the time as much as I can to continue the legacy.”

Bellator 269 takes place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.