Coach Javier Mendez Reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Secret Wish to Prove UFC Fans Wrong About His Striking Skills

Khabib Nurmagomedov built his legacy by mauling opponents on the ground like few fighters ever could. His grappling was so dominant that most never even got the chance to test him in other areas—and that’s where the chatter began. 

Many fans and analysts assumed striking just wasn’t his thing, that he leaned so heavily on wrestling because he couldn’t hang on the feet. But according to longtime coach Javier Mendez, Khabib had a bit of a chip on his shoulder about that.

Despite Mendez’s advice to stick to what he did best, Khabib was quietly determined to show the world he could strike, too—and he was willing to take risks in the Octagon to prove it.

While speaking to Submission Radio, he further dove deeper into the topic saying, “I used to be on Khabib all the time cause Khabib everyone always criticised him for not being good at striking”.

Apparently, the 29-0 champion had a habit of diverting away from their gameplan to prove people wrong.

“He would always go off track trying to prove people wrong and that he could stand. He could stand when the fights went on later, but I still did not like it because I wanted him to go back to what made him the best. That is a mistake a lot of fighters make,” Mendez noted. 

As the old saying goes, every fight starts on its feet. This is perfect for the fighters who are good at striking; however, for those who have a base in wrestling, they have to engage a bit on the feet till they can successfully land a takedown.

In Khabib’s case, it was never a case of if he could get a takedown, it was a case of when. 

However, later on in his career, as shared by coach Mendez himself, ‘The Eagle’ intentionally kept the fight on the feet in order to prove that he has more facets to his game than just grappling.

The fight against Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 in 2018 is a perfect example of the same. Khabib refused to shoot for takedowns and instead stand and traded with Al, even prompting commentator Joe Rogan to call the practice amateurish. 

It’s something, Mendez’s other student, Islam Makhachev has been guilty of as well. During his UFC 302 fight with Dustin Poirier, Islam tried to strike with the southpaw. And to his credit, he did outstrike him 88 to 74.

However, Poirier opened him up in the process, forcing Makhacev to revert to takedowns and submissions — something he will have to be careful about against a younger, hungrier, and stronger fighter like welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena.

Legacy-defining fight for Islam at 170

Makhachev didn’t waste any time reacting to the UFC 315 main event between Belal Muhammad and Della Maddalena. For months, Team Makhachev had been eyeing this fight—if Belal held onto the belt, Islam would likely stay at 155 and face Ilia Topuria.

But with Della Maddalena pulling off a sharp, calculated win over Muhammad via unanimous decision, Islam’s plans took a turn.

Jack, when asked about the potential matchup, called it “a beautiful challenge” and said he’s ready to get one back for his fellow Aussie, Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev responded shortly after with a clear message: “Time to become a double champion inshallah. Let’s go.”