It’s an image that will forever be burned into the minds of the mixed martial arts community – Khabib Nurmagomedov, fresh off submitting Justin Gaethje, curled into a ball and weeping in the center of the Octagon at UFC 254.
The moment was one of rare vulnerability for a champion who almost never had such a moment in his professional career, and the context only added weight to the gut punch of the visual. The fight was the first since Nurmagomedov’s father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away in July due to heart complications worsened by COVID-19. All that love and pain and grief uniquely known to those who lost a parent too soon - and specifically to those who lost a father figure held with such love and admiration – uncorked itself in Nurmagomedov in that moment, a stunning display after what was another commanding performance.