Having withdrawn from UFC 209 the day before he was finally due to lock horns with Tony Ferguson, 2017 became an odd year for Khabib Nurmagomedov…
After a dominant performance against Michael Johnson at UFC 205 in November of 2016, ‘The Eagle’ was sitting pretty as the number one contender in the lightweight division and poised for a shot at Conor McGregor’s crown.
However, after he was hospitalised due to weight cutting issues in the build-up to UFC 209, the Russian was forced to book another bout to prove that he was capable of healthily competing in the lightweight division once again.
It took Nurmagomedov some time to evaluate exactly where he had gone wrong and to reshape his camp to ensure that his cut would be less traumatic in preparation for his UFC 219. However, nine months after the fiasco that surrounded UFC 209, Khabib weighed in at a healthy 155.5 lbs and on Saturday night, he stepped into the Octagon to face the intimidating Edson Barboza.
In the end, Khabib’s performance was more dominant than anyone had predicted with the Russian winning the bout by an absurdly comfortable scoreline on all three of the judges’ scorecards.
Khabib Nurmagomedov posts 30-25, 30-25 and 30-24 scorecards on Edson Barboza (insane), and improves to 25-0 in MMA competition (more insane). #UFC219
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) December 31, 2017
Javier Mendez just said to Khabib in between rounds: “this is fantastic. Tell Dana you love him.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 31, 2017
Khabib says he asked Dana after the first round, “Hey Dana, you want to talk with me?”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 31, 2017
During the bout, Khabib was once again seen addressing Dana White and, speaking in the post-fight press conference, ‘The Eagle’ explained what he was saying to the UFC President.
Watch: Khabib Has Words For ‘Bulls**t Guys’ McGregor & Ferguson After Stunningly Dominant UFC 219 Display
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