UFC’s Khabib posts heartfelt message after father Abdulmanap’s death – ‘hope you were pleased with me’

UFC lightweight champ makes first public comments since death of father and coach Abdulmanap this month related to contracting Covid-19

‘I will miss you father … you taught me everything,’ Khabib writes in an emotional Instagram post

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UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father Abdulmanap in 2018. Photo: EPA

Published: 1:38pm, 23 Jul 2020Updated: 1:57pm, 23 Jul 2020

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has publicly spoken about his father for the first time since his death on July 3.

In an Instagram post, “The Eagle” (28-0) posted a chapter from the Koran as well as a personal message to his father and coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, 57, who died of complications because of heart surgery.

According to MMAFighting.com, the cause of death was irreversible brain trauma caused by a stroke. Abdulmanap had been placed in a medically induced coma in Moscow and also had damage to internal organs related to the coronavirus.

“I will miss you father. You were father, friend, brother and coach all rolled into one,” he wrote, in comments translated by RT Sport. “You taught me almost everything, I hope you were pleased with me.”

Nurmagomedov, who is a Russian Muslim from the Dagestan region of the country, last fought in September, beating Dustin Poirier via submission in the third round at UFC 242.

The 31-year-old was originally expected to fight interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 253 on September 19, but the match has now been indefinitely postponed as UFC president Dana White said Nurmagomedov can take as much time as he wants to recover from his loss.