Earlier this week, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov opened a training facility in his hometown of Dagestan. Partnered up with his father Abdulmanap, the gym located in the capital city of Makhachkala will cater to people of all ages.
“I was very excited about this. Today, we opened this gym,” Khabib told RT Sport. “This is like dreams come true, and here you can train Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, grappling, combat sambo, MMA, everything what you want. Like you guys see, a lot of kids here, and I think it’s going to be full all day.
“This gym is going to be full, a lot of kids going to be training here,” he added. “You know, this is why I opened this gym. I want a lot of young generation guys training here and become professional fighters.”
Abdulmanap himself has big plans for the facility.
“I’d like this gym to set the standard for all other big cities in Russia,” said the elder Nurmagomedov, who plans to train fighters for three years then become an adviser.
Apart from the room-wide wrestling and grappling area, heavy bags and gym, the facility will also feature a study room, relaxation area, and a full size backboard for some Dagestani basketball.
Nurmagomedov is slated to defend his title against Tony Ferguson in the UFC 249 main event, on April 18th in Brooklyn, New York.
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