Not Khabib, not Islam Makhachev! Coach Javier Mendez names THIS Bellator fighter as the most-talented athlete

Javier Mendez says Usman Nurmagomedov is more talented than any other fighter he has ever trained, even Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

Not Khabib, not Islam Makhachev! Coach Javier Mendez names THIS Bellator fighter as the most-talented athlete

Javier Mendez names Usman Nurmagomedov is more talented than Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov (Image via X)

Javier Mendez recently did an interview where he talked about the most talented fighter he has trained. It was not Khabib Nurmagomedov nor was it Islam Makhachev. It was Bellator’s Usman Nurmagomedov, who happens to be the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Here is what happened:

Javier Mendez recently sat down with MMA Mania. There he talked about Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s cousin and named him the most talented fighter he had trained. Mendez said: 

Usman Nurmagomedov. That's easy, I train, I know who's the most talented, Usman.
Javier Mandez via MMA Mania
YouTube video

Javier Mendez said that Usman Nurmagomedov has the potential to leave behind a great legacy in MMA, but he needs to fight in the UFC to get the exposure he needs. The coach said if a fighter is not in the mainstream promotion which is the UFC, unfortunately, they do not get the recognition they deserve. Mendez said that unless the fanbase for other MMA organizations like the PFL, Bellator, and others grow, Usman Nurmagomedov still has to look to get into the UFC at some point in his career to take it to the next level.

FS Video

Usman is a young MMA contender who began his professional career in 2017 in Russia. Since then, he has not lost a single fight, holding an impressive record of 17 wins and 0 losses although his last bout at Bellator 300 ended in a no contest.

Nurmagomedov trained under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov who was Khabib’s father. After his passing, Khabib took the responsibility of training him. Nurmagomedov has fought in various organizations such as the GFC and UAE Warriors. After winning his 11th professional fight in the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament, he signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator.

Javier Mendez wants Islam Makhachev to fight Dustin Poirier

Javier Mendez revealed his pick for Islam Makhachev to fight next. There has been much talk about Dustin Poirier fighting for the UFC lightweight belt after Islam Makhachev’s manager openly invited him on X. Mendez talked about it in his latest interview.

Islam Makhachev doesn't feel Dustin Poirier deserves the title
Islam Makhachev doesn’t feel Dustin Poirier deserves the title (via BJ Penn)

Mendez said that he is ready for whoever may be the next opponent regardless if it were Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje. If it’s Dustin, fantastic. He also said that Dustin Poirier is the next likely opponent although he is not sure what is going on in the background. As for the fight with Gaethje or Charles Oliveira, the coach revealed that he has no idea what is going on.

Another reason why Javier Mendez is all in for Dustin Poirier is because Poirier is injury-free. He does not want Islam to wait for other contenders like Gaethje who fights at UFC 300 because of the possibility that he may get injured. In such a scenario Makhachev would have to wait for him to recover to fight him next. This was why the coach believed Poirier was the perfect fight for Makhachev to fight next.

In case you missed it!