The announcement of the recent passing of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has sent a wave of mourning through much of the MMA community. The longtime coach and mentor to one of the UFC’s most prodigious talents was clearly more than just a driving force for his son’s career. Alongside Khabib, the two men helped bring Dagestan’s long history of martial arts further out onto the world stage.
The Eagles MMA camp not only launched the career of the ‘Eagle’ himself, but fellow UFC fighters Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, Tagir Ulanbekov, and Abubakar Nurmagomedov—as well as developing many other young talents from around the region.