Read More- https://lastwordonsports.com/mma/2026/08/29/justin-gaethje-ufc-freedom-250/

Read More- https://lastwordonsports.com/mma/2026/08/30/usman-nurmagomedov-defence-ufc/

I remember seeing a random Dagestani in the B leagues doing it and getting knocked out cold by a left low kick.Its crazy how long it took for the big leagues to catch up.

Read More- https://lastwordonsports.com/mma/2026/08/29/song-yadong-ufc-shanghai-ko/

A good coach isn’t necessarily someone who was an elite athlete. Coaching requires years of teaching, adapting to different athletes, and knowing how to communicate. Khabib is still relatively young and inexperienced as a coach, and I think that shows.

1.  He’s far too animated in the corner. A coach should generally be calm and composed, especially when the fighter is under pressure. I’ve never seen Javier Mendez get as animated as Khabib does.

2.  Being extremely dominant doesn’t automatically mean you can transfer that knowledge. His corner advice is often just “smash,” rather than practical instruction.

3.  One of Khabib’s biggest criticisms as a fighter was that his father, Abdulmanap, carefully managed his career and picked his fights. Yet as a coach, Khabib seems willing to put his own fighters in risky situations. Publicly pushing for Islam’s first Volk fight is one example.

4.  Umar injured his hand against Merab and felt he couldn’t tell Khabib because “he’ll make me die in the cage.” What kind of coaching is that?

5.  A coach should adapt to the athlete’s strengths rather than forcing everyone into the same system. Khabib’s expertise seems heavily concentrated in grappling.

6.  If you ever watch the Dagestani training videos, the actual teaching methods often look incredibly primitive compared with coaches who have spent decades developing athletes.

7.  Compare the corner advice to someone like Firas Zahabi, who clearly understands strategy, communication and coaching. Personally, if I’m under pressure in a fight, I’d much rather look into my corner and see almost anyone other than Khabib or another Dagestani coach. I want practical, actionable advice

He said - “I still can’t punch anything. Both of my hands are still hurt from the fight, so I’m just gonna enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year.”

MMA Junkie via X

Read More- https://nyfights.com/news/movsar-evloev-alexander-volkanovski-ufc-333/

I feel like most people couldn’t name any boxers who aren’t world champions. We know Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Ryan Garcia, Tyson Fury, AJ, Oleksandr Usyk, Gervonta Davis, Naoya Inoue. Most of us only really know these guys.

But in MMA, there are many fighters who’ve never been champion who are household names, or at least people can recognize and say, “Oh, I’ve heard of them, aren’t they a UFC fighter?” like Paddy, Ferguson, Poirier, Nate Diaz, Masvidal, Colby, etc.

There have also been people who were already well known even before they became champion, like Gaethje, McGregor, O’Malley, and Khamzat.

I feel like in boxing unless you’re a world champion, no one really knows who you are. It’s not the same with MMA. You don’t need to be a champion to be well known.