There’s a popular belief that if you dedicate 10,000 hours to something, you’ll master it. But when it comes to sports, it’s not that simple—you need a special kind of talent to really nail those skills. Dagestani fighter Umar Nurmagomedov recently weighed in, admitting it’s too late for him to master boxing and get good at it. It’s like trying to teach a classical singer to drop a rap verse—sometimes, no matter how much time you spend, the rhythm just doesn’t click. No doubt it’ll be tough to keep flowing in that new school style.
On X, Umar Nurmagomedov, who hails from Dagestan and is part of the Nurmagomedov wrestling-heavy dynasty, shared his thoughts. From Khabib to Islam, countless names have emerged from the same place, all trained by the legendary Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Since they’ve been wrestling since boyhood, it’s become a central part of their game. Meanwhile, it seems Umar wants to be ready for his potential Sean O’Malley fight. Consequently, he is eyeing to upgrade his boxing skills.
There’s no doubt that ‘The Young Eagle‘ Umar has a better boxing foundation than his brother Khabib. However, as Umar said, mastering it is a whole new ball game. The strategies and skills are entirely different, and it takes More than just time to perfect these skills and become a boxer like Max Holloway.
However, it’s not impossible, especially considering that Cory Sandhagen, known primarily as a striker, gave Umar a tough wrestling fight, which is quite surprising given Umar’s elite-level wrestling. This shows that with resilience and a strong mental game, it can be achieved ahead of a potential Sean O’Malley matchup.
Umar Nurmagomedov Declines Backup Spot for Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Fight
Recently, fans saw numerous fighters getting replaced at the last minute, with Dan Ige making headlines for stepping in as a replacement himself. Being a backup fighter is a big deal. With UFC 306 coming up and Merab Dvalishvili having recently shown an eye cut, Daniel Cormier asked Umar why he wasn’t interested in the backup role. Umar bluntly denied it and shared his reasons.
In his recent video, he revealed, “I was with Umar Nurmagomedov the other day. I go, why don’t you or why didn’t you just say that I’ll be the backup fighter for Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili? He goes, ‘Why could I be the backup fighter when I’m already the best in the world? That’s his thought, that’s his belief. So, he is not going to be the backup guy.”
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There’s no doubt that Umar, like his brother, is a dominant force, but his rejection of the backup role is surprising. It would have given him a direct ticket to a title shot, possibly sooner than expected. However, it’s a risky move requiring less preparation time.
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