UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov always appreciated his father Abdulmanap. With his head coach and mentor gone, teammate Daniel Cormier is unsure about the career of “The Eagle’s”.
Cormier spoke to Ariel Helwani of ESPN on Tuesday, recalling a conversation with Khabib a few days before the 57-year-old Abdulmanap died due to complications from COVID-19.
“I spoke to the champion – my champion, our champion, the AKA champion – about everything on Wednesday,” said Cormier. “And he had trouble handling it. Training makes him feel better, but in these circumstances it would be very difficult for the champion to fight.
“Now I don’t know what’s going to happen. I really don’t. It’s such a big part of who he is. I don’t know what he can do without his father. “
Khabib’s next assignment will be his third title defense against interim champion Justin Gaethje in September.
