The key facts

  • Makhachev called sambo the best base for MMA and linked the team's success to coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov
  • The coach was happier about his students' sambo victories than about their performances in UFC, Bellator, and PFL
  • Makhachev is a world champion and two-time Russian champion in combat sambo, an Honored Master of Sports of Russia

Sambo as the Foundation of the Team

The reigning UFC welterweight champion and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, that the foundation of his career was laid by coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who taught him combat sambo. According to the fighter, the secret of their team's success is that all of its members started with sambo and devoted a lot of time to jacket wrestling, which directly affects the technique and tactics of a fight.

The Coach's Role and Competitive Experience

Makhachev emphasized that it was the coach who played the key role: he paid great attention to sambo, and his students' victories in this sport pleased him more than their performances in major organizations — UFC, Bellator, and PFL. Nurmagomedov sent athletes to both small and large tournaments, and the team competed in almost every event held in the country. Makhachev's own sambo accolades include a world championship title, two Russian championship titles, and the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia. Separately, the outlet recalls that the champion was previously advised to move up to middleweight.