Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently weighed in on the comparison between the legacies of the Gracie and Nurmagomedov families.
He also picked jiu-jitsu the most efficient martial art while discussing the unprecedented legacies of the two families.
Speaking in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Mendez claimed that it would be an honor for the Nurmagomedov clan to be compared to the family that introduced jiu-jitsu to the world:
“It’s a huge honor. I mean, think about it, if the people are really comparing us, the legacy or the greatness of what the Gracies did.. I mean, we are all here because of the Gracies. Let’s not forget that. We are here because of everything they visualized, they saw.”
Furthermore, he hailed jiu-jitsu as the primary and cardinal martial arts form:
“If it comes down to only one single art, they’re still going to reign. Gracie jiu-jitsu is going to be No.1 man! How can I say otherwise? It’s been proven. If you just take one single art, to me it’s the best art. You could have the greatest wrestler and yeah, he will take you down, but what is he going to do with it? He’s not going to understand submissions.”
The Gracie family helped institutionalize the sport and enlightened the world about the usage of leverage and comprehensive submission tools. Rorion Gracie was a prominent figure in the family who co-founded the UFC.
His younger brother, Royce, was the winner of the inaugural UFC event when it was an open-weight single-elimination tournament with minimal rules.
Elsewhere today, the Dagestani clan, led by Khabib Nurmagomedov, has taken the MMA world by storm. The Russian team has produced champions across different weight classes and promotions who continue to dominate the sport.
Watch the full interview below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov reflects on his team’s journey to the top of the sport
It is beyond debate that Khabib Nurmagomedov helped put Dagestan on the map. He not only dominated the sport through his unblemished record but also carried his team on US soil and paved the way for Dagestani athletes.
‘The Eagle’s teammate Islam Makhachev is the current UFC lightweight champion, and his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov became the Bellator lightweight champion this past weekend when he dethroned Patricky Pitbull via unanimous decision.
Reflecting on the journey during a recent speaking engagement with Class A Events in Toronto, Khabib Nurmagomedov said:
“What’s interesting is, I [did not] coach a lot of people. I coach people who were around me, like, when I was an active fighter. Maybe 12, 15 guys? We 13 people, we have a combined win in MMA of almost 300 fights. And this is crazy. Nobody ever did this in MMA before. This never happen. And I’m very happy because of this, because I know it was my father’s hard work. The way how he invest us, the way how he teach us, the way how he push us was everything. Even now, his legacy keep going.”
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov’s full sit-down interview below: