“Coming here was not a good experience for me,” Javier Mendez revealed in his 2024 interview with Men’s Health. The AKA coach opened up about how life as a Mexican immigrant was incredibly humbling, long before he became the mentor to superstars like Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and now, Islam Makhachev. Mendez’s reputation as a teacher has always been respected, and now, the soon-to-be former 155-pound champion has stepped forward to show his support for the coach who helped shape his legacy.
In his Men’s Health interview, Javier Mendez opened up about the harsh treatment he faced during his early days in the U.S., having moved there at just six years old. Reflecting on his journey, Mendez shared that the language barrier, his Mexican heritage, and other challenges often led to hostile behavior from those around him.
He revealed, “I didn’t understand the English language whatsoever, and I was ashamed of being a Mexican from Mexico. A lot of kids would pick on me and call me ‘wetback.’ Latino kids would call me that….I was proud to be Mexican, but I was ashamed of being from Mexico.”
The AKA coach hasn’t publicly shared his views on illegal immigration or how he would address the struggles he once faced. However, Islam Makhachev recently showed his support for Mendez in a subtle but powerful way. In a post on Instagram by Combat Forerver, the Dagestani champion was seen wearing a T-shirt featuring Mendez’s face with the words “God Bless You” printed underneath. On the back, it read “Illegal Immigrants.” He was also heard saying, “Coach, what happened with you?”, seemingly raising concern for Javier.
Illegal immigration is undoubtedly a sensitive and polarizing topic among American citizens, with a wide range of opinions and arguments on both sides. It now seems that Javier Mendez may have chosen to express his views through this symbolic T-shirt. While he hasn’t yet shared any direct thoughts on the matter, it’s fair to assume that more context may come to light once the AKA coach decides to speak openly about the message and intention behind the shirt.
That said, there’s no doubt Javier Mendez has built one of the best coaching legacies in UFC history. His skills and deep knowledge of the sport have helped create countless champions. Behind that success, there’s definitely a clear philosophy and way of working. And that becomes even truer when it comes to training Khabib and Islam. So, let’s dive into how he trained them.
Javier Mendez reveals the initial days of training with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev
Javier Mendez is known as one of the best coaches in MMA for plenty of reasons. But his eye for spotting talent especially from Dagestan has been nothing short of sharp. Both Khabib and Islam have trained with him throughout their entire careers, and there are plenty of other fighters from the region who’ve come under his mentorship. The AKA coach detailed how he helped them learn MMA.
During the interview with Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, Mendez, said: “I mean, speaking to them was definitely a chore, right? But as far as the techniques, the technique, they’ll look at you and they’ll go, okay, we get it. I mean, these guys were savages right from the beginning. They’re already well-trained by their father and everything. They didn’t have the concept of the stand-up, you know, and that’s what I gave them, and a game plan and the whole bit,”
Mendez’s point definitely holds up when you look at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s early career, where he leaned heavily on his wrestling rather than striking. After joining AKA and training under Mendez, Khabib developed his stand-up game significantly. The same goes for Islam Makhachev, his constant boxing and kickboxing training, often shared in videos, shows how much he’s improved on his striking as part of his journey to becoming a complete martial artist.
He added, “Khabib, out of all those guys, was mentally the strongest. No matter what happened, good or bad, he stayed level-headed.” That’s no surprise, considering Khabib is known as one of the most disciplined athletes ever, which was the key behind his undefeated record. ‘The Eagle’ is strict when it comes to following the norms, as he once scolded one of his teammates for oversleeping.
With that being said, what do you think about Mendez and Dagestani camp’s relationship? Please let us know by commenting below.
The post “Coach What Happened”- Islam Makhachev Sends Brave ‘Illegal Immigration’ Message to Support Javier Mendez appeared first on EssentiallySports.