Javier Mendes, the coach of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, said that the Russian continues wrestling sparring even after his career ends, because he wants his teammates AKA to have the opportunity to test their strength in the fight with a high-class grappler.
Speaking to Mike Swick on the Real Quick With Mike Swick Podcast, Javier Mendes said the only reason Nurmagomedov is training at AKA is to familiarize his teammates with “world-class” grappling:
“Khabib is still grappling with these guys and whooping up on everybody. He is whooping up on all these guys. He goes, ‘coach, how are these guys gonna know what it feels like to go with a world-class grappler, and fight and grapple with them. And I said, ‘you know Khabib, you are 100 percent correct. They are gonna know what it feels like to be going up against the best ever and you’re the best ever at your weight, so yeah, it would be best for you to grapple with them’. So that’s why Khabib grapples with these guys, so he wants these guys to get a feel for what it’s like,” said Javier Mendes.
Khabib Nurmagomedov makes sure he’s training with fighters who aren’t too heavy, ideally those who don’t weigh more than 200 pounds, Javier Mendes added.