There’s no success without sacrifice. And Khabib Nurmagomedov understands that all too well – because he has had to go through some harsh training conditions in order to become the champion he is today:

We had guys on our team that didn’t last very long. For example, we had a training camp in the mountains.
We didn’t have the greatest conditions there; we slept on the floor and trained outside. We ran on stones up the mountains, old school style.

Some guys came and saw that we had no TVs, for example. The guy keeps going and asks: “Do you have Wi-Fi?” Oh, there’s no Wi-Fi here… What about showers?” I tell him we bathe in the spring. “Is there a washing machine?” No, we wash our own clothes.
He takes a look at the surroundings and quickly leaves.

My father would notice that guys like that came and went. He’d always say: “If we lose him, we’re not losing anything.”
Guys eliminated themselves.

Those who stuck with the conditions, however, have had to develop razor-sharp focus:

Then, there are guys that I’ve known for over a decade – we always had genuine, brotherly relations. We talk to each other even when we’re not training together. It’s amazing to see where we came from now that we’re surrounded by cameras in Moscow.

This has to be very motivational for budding athletes. They have to know what the keys are and that focus is the main key.
You can’t veer off the path towards your goal. There will be obstacles on the way, such as injuries and finances – but if you keep going, you’ll reach success.

Even if you don’t become a champion, you’ll have people close to you with whom you’ll be close friends.