Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier are a fighter friendship that keeps on giving.
‘DC’ and ‘The Eagle’ have become close acquaintances in their time at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), one of the premier MMA gyms in America, typically home to Team Khabib when they’re fighting on American soil. Two-time Olympian Cormier teaches youth wrestling at AKA and mixes it well with the fighters from Dagestan.
While attending UFC 311 as a cornerman for Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Tagir Ulanbekov in California, Nurmagomedov had several opportunities to joke with Cormier, especially since Cormier was part of the commentary team for UFC 311.
Despite this, Nurmagomedov’s latest jab came from Dubai, where he cornered Usman Nurmagomedov in the main event of PFL: Road to Dubai.
Khabib Nurmagomedov takes dig at Daniel Cormier over two-year-old tea incident
Posted by AKA founder and coach Javier Mendez on January 26, Nurmagomedov is seen being handed English Breakfast teabags backstage at PFL: Road to Dubai, which featured Usman Nurmagomedov defeating Paul Hughes by a majority decision.
“We have to show this [teabags] to your bad student DC,” Nurmagomedov tells Mendez. “I asked [DC for English breakfast]… Coach you know why you think this is a joke? Because you, like DC, don’t understand anything about real tea.
“You know why you don’t understand this is a joke. You American guy, you coffee guy.”
When Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier argued over tea
Nurmagomedov harkens back to a clip of him at Cormier’s home, where Cormier didn’t buy him English Breakfast tea for his stay at his house. At this point, both Cormier and Nurmagomedov were two years retired.
“English breakfast tea,” Nurmagomedov demands Cormier in the video. “Black English breakfast tea.”
“[…] I don’t know if I have that man,” Cormier said.
Cormier showed Nurmagomedov an assortment of teas, from nightly to medicinal, but no classic English tea.
“[…] I’m gonna go home,” Nurmagomedov jested.
While Cormier gears up for his next UFC commentary appearance, Nurmagomedov should be enjoying a well-earned break from cornering his fighters. Nurmagomedov looks forward to retiring from coaching, and 2025 has been a busy schedule for ‘The Eagle’ so far.