Javier Mendez takes blame for Nurmagomedov’s KO loss

The coach wants to correct Umar’s defensive flaw before his return

Javier Mendez, the coach of UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov, has taken full responsibility for his loss to Song Yadong.

The loss in August was one of the biggest surprises of the year. Song Yadong was in top form that night and knocked out his opponent, who had been on a great run, in the main event.

However, there was one crucial mistake: Umar Nurmagomedov lowered his head in that exact moment, putting himself in the path of the punch. Javier had apparently noticed this tendency in him before, which is why he views the loss as his own fault, since, as a coach, it’s his job to correct such issues.

In a conversation with Farah Hannoun, Mendez said that his protégé had already shown a tendency toward this movement in past fights, but that he doesn’t do it in training. That’s why he wanted to work specifically on ensuring that he completely eliminates this flaw.

“I blame me on that one. I have to. I have to blame me because it’s something that I have to think about, and I have to put it in his head because I’m the mental guy”

he said.

Despite his loss, Mendez wants to see his protégé back in the ring as soon as possible. The only requirement is that the doctors clear him and that he’s mentally ready to fight again. Despite this loss, Umar Nurmagomedov is definitely still among the top 5 in his weight class, which is why a comeback will surely be a success. What do you think?