Khabib says his father initially wanted him to avoid MMA fighting

What was said

"And I was like, I thought, "I need this. I need this mixed style." I realized this was for me. I started going to my father's trainings, despite that he didn't let me. He didn't want me to do fighting. I think most people don't know this."

Khabib Nurmagomedov recalls that his father, the late coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, originally pushed him towards freestyle wrestling or judo rather than combat Sambo/MMA. He says he persisted with “mixed style” training anyway after realising the sport suited him.