Javier Mendez has high expectations for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov.

The American Kickboxing Academy head coach sees the younger Nurmagomedov (13-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) becoming a UFC champion in the next two or three years. Mendez said Umar is not a finished product just yet, but he feels the 24-year-old will have a title run in the near future and end up as champion at bantamweight, where Petr Yan currently holds the belt.

“I’ve been saying it, in five or six fights, I expect him to be fighting for a title, and I believe we’re seeing a new champion, 100 percent,” Mendez told MMA Junkie. “He still has some improvements to make, but he’s going to make them. And yeah, you will be seeing him with the strap in five or six fights from now.”

Nurmagomedov has been signed with the UFC for almost a year but just recently made his promotional debut. Illness, not to mention the ongoing global pandemic, delayed his UFC debut, but Nurmagomedov was finally able to step in the octagon on Jan. 20 at UFC on ESPN 20. The unbeaten prospect defeated Sergey Morozov with a second-round rear-naked choke.

“It was really nice to finally see him get this opportunity after so many things have happened,” Mendez said. “It was nice for him to do it as the same date as Khabib – Jan. 20 is the same date Khabib entered (the UFC), and the choke was the same as Khabib’s choke, so all those combined, it was an incredible experience.

“He came in not a Khabib prodigy, he came in as Umar. He’s just himself, and he showed what great talent he has and diversity in different techniques. But father’s plan is still best plan for Team Eagle, and he showed that, too. He also showed these guys can strike, too.”

Although Nurmagomedov is not exactly a copy of his famed champion cousin, the influence Khabib has had on Umar’s young MMA career has been huge. It’s certainly a big help to have arguably the best lightweight in the history of MMA in the family.

“It’s everything; they all look up to Khabib,” Mendez said. “He’s like a big brother and a role model. He’s everything they want to be like, and he provides for them opportunities, whether it be on the physical or the mental.

“He’s there for them, and they’re well taken care of. He makes sure that everything is done right for them, so they can’t be nothing but successful with him because of all the knowledge and support he gives them.”

Listen to the full interview with Mendez in the video below.