In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, head coach of AKA gym, Javier Mendez, reflected on the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
“Yes, I remember the fight between Khabib and Conor. I also recall how Islam Makhachev and Abubakar Nurmagomedov were constantly losing their minds in the background, and I had to calm them down. I always stuck to the father’s plan (Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov).
For Khabib, the plan was clear: avoid striking exchanges because Conor is too dangerous there. While I knew that Khabib could handle him, I wanted to avoid close-range fighting. I aimed to dominate. That’s why I constantly encouraged him to stick to his father’s plan, which mainly emphasizes leveraging strengths against weaknesses. Our strength was grappling. Therefore, I wanted Khabib to engage Conor primarily in that aspect—just grappling, grappling, grappling. I knew there was no one on the planet who could match him in grappling. But Khabib was too angry. There was a lot of anger in Islam and in everyone around.
Javier Mendez exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
"I remained calm and focused on what needed to be done, as I had to pay attention to every detail. You know, I’m always concentrating when the fight is on. I don’t feel any emotions; I simply focus on motivating my fighter to win. If there’s a mistake, I want to point it out quickly,” Mendez said.
On October 6, 2018, at UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov achieved a submission victory in the fourth round over Conor McGregor. This fight generated 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and holds the record in the history of mixed martial arts.