Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father is making progress, says Ali Abdelaziz.
Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, has been in a hospital in Moscow, Russia. “The Eagle” said that Abdulmanap, who has battled pneumonia, was also diagnosed with the coronavirus. At one point, it was reported by multiple Russian outlets that Abdulmanap was on life support after his condition worsened.
Abdelaziz Says Khabib’s Father Is Progressing
During an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Abdelaziz said that Abdulmanap is progressing in the hospital.
“Khabib is very strong, his family is very strong and his father is very strong,” Abdelaziz told ESPN. “He’s improving. He opened his eyes, responding a little bit — good sign. Allah is in control. We have faith he will be better, but at the end of the day, it’s completely up to his health whether it progresses or not. But he’s progressing, and we’re very happy about this.”
Khabib had plans to return as soon as July for a title unification bout against interim title holder Justin Gaethje. Due to the state of his father’s health, Khabib is now aiming for a return to action in September. “The Eagle” hasn’t competed since Sept. 2019 when he submitted Dustin Poirier to retain his UFC lightweight championship.
There have been times when Abdulmanap wasn’t able to enter the United States to be in his son’s corner for fights. Even so, Khabib’s father has always made his presence felt. Often times in between rounds, Khabib’s coach Javier Mendez will remind “The Eagle” of “father’s plan.”
Khabib will hope to stay focused when he returns against an opponent as tough as Gaethje. “The Highlight” captured interim gold by stopping the 12-fight winning streak of Tony Ferguson. Gaethje is riding a four-fight winning streak with finishing victories over Ferguson, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and James Vick.
Of course, Khabib is no slouch himself. He holds a stellar pro MMA record of 28-0. He’s beaten the likes of Conor McGregor, Poirier, and Rafael dos Anjos to name a few.
