UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov explained why school should come before sports, saying that “education must be the priority.”
The UFC lightweight champion spoke to reporters in Russia following the recent EFC event in Dagestan. Nurmagomedov was asked about a recent Instagram post he made where he said parents need to raise their kids the right way. The legend then expanded on those comments with the media and spoke about the importance of education. One of the things that the Russian is concerned with is that too many young people are putting aside their studies. In Nurmagomedov’s estimation, going to school needs to come before anything, even sports.
“We need to tell our children to study first, and only then do sports. If training comes before studying, it might lead to antisocial behavior. Clueless and brainless. That’s why education should always be the priority. That’s the way I grew up,” Nurmagomedov said (h/t RT).
“The Eagle” then told an anecdote about his own life as a young boy under the tutelage of his late father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The champ said that his father wouldn’t let him train until he got his grades up. He joked that the other fighters who his father was training at the time thought Nurmagomedov would become a teacher — and not a fighter — because he was so dedicated to school.
“For example, back in 2002, 2003, when my father had his first students, I was always with them. There were already world champions among them, and I was just 14 years old. And they thought I would become a teacher at school, not an athlete. Because I was so focused on education. Yes, I was training at the same time, but studying always came first. My father didn’t even let me attend training if I had bad marks. He said, ‘First, study well. Then I’ll let you train,’” Nurmagomedov said.
