This facility was a strict no-go for Khabib Nurmagomedov and his teammates.

Nurmagomedov enjoyed an undefeated rise to the top in the UFC and ended his career without a single blemish on his professional record.

To achieve that feat, the 29-0 legend had elite coaching and teammates to help him along the way, chief among them being his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

In addition to the late coach, ‘The Eagle’ also had guidance from Javier Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. There, Nurmagomedov trained with the likes of Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Luke Rockhold.

But despite becoming one of the biggest names associated with AKA, the Dagestani was seemingly persuaded against training at an affiliate gym…

Khabib Nurmagomedov and his teammates weren’t allowed to train at AKA Thailand

In 2014, AKA expanded by opening a gym in Thailand. That facility was founded and remains owned by former UFC fighter and WEC title challenger Mike Swick.

Some top names have visited and trained at AKA Thailand over the years, but despite the connection to the California gym, that hasn’t included the likes of Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Swick addressed their absence and suggested that Abdulmanap did not like the idea of his fighters heading to Thailand.

“You know, Khabib’s father always had an issue with coming to Thailand, because it was a distraction,” Swick explained.

“So I don’t think Khabib’s ever gonna come, and Islam and the guys close with Khabib.

“We do get a lot of Dagestani guys that come to Thailand, but for some reason his family didn’t want that distraction when he was in his career,” he added.

“Now he’s not (fighting), maybe he will come. I would love it.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov did not originally want to be a fighter

While his early retirement dented his claim to GOAT status in the eyes of many, Nurmagomedov is still widely regarded as the greatest lightweight of all time and one of the sport’s top legends.

But despite enjoying an unrivaled career inside the cage, ‘The Eagle’ originally had his sights set on a different sport.

Before discovering his passion for MMA and unmatched skill, Nurmagomedov wanted to be a soccer player.

“I was watching football (soccer) all my life and I really love the sport, and for me, that sport is still number one,” the former UFC lightweight champion said in December at the World Sports Summit.

“When I was young, my dream was to become a football player, and after, I accidentally became a fighter. Sometimes this happens, you know?

“Where I was born, where I grew up and my father was a coach, I’m joking with accidentally I became a fighter but in my heart, it was always football,” he added.