Recent perceived setbacks are raising questions about Team
Nurmagomedov. | đź“·: Getty/UFC

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Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov built one hell of a legacy.

The father of legendary former
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Khabib
Nurmagomedov, Abdulmanap was the driving force behind his son’s
success. He trained Khabib from a young age and helped mold him
into a fighter frequently included in MMA’s greatest-of-all-time
discussions.

Several relatives and family friends also built successful careers
in the sport. Most never approached Khabib’s accomplishments, but
producing even one fighter of his caliber is more than most coaches
achieve. The fact that Islam
Makhachev has developed a résumé comparable to Khabib’s places
Abdulmanap among the greatest trainers in MMA history.

Unfortunately, Abdulmanap did not live to see the full extent of
his work. He died in July 2020 after experiencing complications
related to Covid-19. Three months later, Khabib announced his
retirement following another successful title defense, saying he
did not want to continue without his father.

Khabib did not leave the sport entirely. He transitioned into
coaching and assumed a version of his father’s role, guiding
Makhachev to UFC championships in two divisions.

Further success followed. Usman
Nurmagomedov captured championships in Bellator
MMA and the
Professional Fighters League, while Umar
Nurmagomedov earned a shot at the UFC bantamweight title. Umar
came up short, but he was only 29 and appeared likely to receive
another opportunity. Through Khabib, Abdulmanap’s influence seemed
poised to extend throughout the decade.

Even great MMA dynasties eventually fade

However, nothing in combat sports lasts forever.

Coaches do not face the same physical limitations as fighters, but
no trainer remains at the top indefinitely. Their periods of
dominance can be surprisingly similar to the competitive windows of
their athletes.

Consider some of MMA’s most celebrated coaches: Pat Miletich,

Greg Jackson and Andre
Pederneiras. Each guided multiple fighters to UFC
championships, but none occupies the same place in the modern
conversation. Jackson and Pederneiras remain connected to the
sport, yet it has been some time since one of their pupils stood
among the UFC’s most prominent champions.

We may now be witnessing the beginning of a similar decline for the
Nurmagomedov team.

That does not mean everything will collapse immediately. It does
suggest, however, that the group’s peak might already have
passed.

Islam Makhachev is starting to look vulnerable

Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight championship
against Ian Garry
last month, but he appeared more vulnerable than at any previous
point during his record-setting winning streak. Unable to
physically overwhelm Machado Garry as he had many of his
lightweight opponents, Makhachev escaped with a narrow victory.

His next challenger could be Carlos
Prates or Michael
Morales, both of whom would present imposing physical tests.
That has led to questions about whether Makhachev’s reign might be
approaching its final stages.

Umar Nurmagomedov’s knockout loss changes the equation

Umar still carried an aura of inevitability after losing to
Merab
Dvalishvili in early 2025. Their meeting was among the closest
fights of Dvalishvili’s extended winning streak, and Umar was never
badly hurt. There was little shame in losing to one of the most
dominant bantamweight champions the UFC had seen.

That aura has now disappeared.

Yadong
Song knocked Umar unconscious with an uppercut this past
weekend. The immediate question is how Umar will respond.

Some fighters unravel after their first professional defeat, but
Umar did not. He rebounded from the Dvalishvili loss by comfortably
defeating Mario
Bautista and Deiveson
Figueiredo. A first knockout loss can present a different
psychological challenge, however, and there is no guarantee that
Umar will return as the same fighter.

His championship prospects have also become more uncertain. If UFC
decision-makers are reluctant to promote his wrestling-heavy style,
rebuilding toward another title shot could require a lengthy
winning streak.

The next generation has yet to fill the void

Makhachev and Umar are not the only notable fighters connected to
Khabib’s team. There is a reasonable argument that Usman
Nurmagomedov could be one of the world’s best lightweights.

Elsewhere, Abubakar
Nurmagomedov is no longer with the UFC, while Tagir
Ulanbekov appears to have fallen short of early expectations.
Several promising fighters remain outside the promotion, but
staying away from the UFC may limit their visibility and perceived
standing.

That is not necessarily a criticism of their career decisions.
Competing elsewhere might provide better financial opportunities.
Fairly or unfairly, though, success outside the UFC often receives
less recognition from the broader MMA audience.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team can still reverse the slide

It would not take much for Khabib’s team to reverse the current
narrative.

Usman could enter the UFC and win the lightweight championship.
Umar could produce a winning streak too convincing to ignore.
Prospects such as Ibragim
Ibragimov and Renat
Khavalov could continue to turn heads.

That is an extensive list of things that would need to go right.
Khabib’s team has enjoyed an extraordinary run of success, but such
periods do not last forever. Other highly regarded camps have
discovered how quickly momentum can change.

The immediate downfall of Eagles MMA is hardly guaranteed, but some
cracks are beginning to show. Once that happens, decline often
follows—gradually in some cases and suddenly in others.

There would be nothing shameful about that outcome. Every great
team eventually recedes. Even
American Top Team has maintained its longevity partly through a
rotating collection of coaches and fighters rather than one
uninterrupted generation.

The Nurmagomedov team’s slide may have begun. Still, Khabib has
repeatedly demonstrated that counting him out is unwise, even when
he is no longer the one competing.

Then again, like Khabib, Father Time remains undefeated.