Khabib Nurmagamedov Proves That He is the Best Lightweight on the Planet… He Crushed Dustin Poirier in Three Rounds to Become Undisputed Lightweight Champion of the World at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi…
Some people were saying that Dustin Poirier could be different. The interim lightweight champion was a southpaw like Conor McGregor and a very dangerous striker. But when you take on Khabib Nurmagamedov it just isn’t enough to be dangerous. You have to be exceptional.
‘The Diamond’ was coming into this one off the back of a five-fight winning streak, including victories over Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje and Jim Miller. However, even that is nothing compared to Khabib’s perfect record of 27-0 coming into this fight – which would soon be extended to 28 wins.
Khabib hadn’t fought since the whole Conor McGregor thing back in 2018. Almost a year later he was finally back in action and he put on a sublime performance to remind the whole world just why he’s the best lightweight fighter on the planet. Nobody can touch him right now.
Man, thought Poirier had him for a second there with the Guillotine choke. Khabib wins again with the choke. Shocker… #UFC242 pic.twitter.com/7XiD3WiFPA
— BBQ Dom (@RealBBQDom) September 7, 2019
Dominant
This fight was done and dusted in three dominant rounds. The first started slow with both men cagey and reluctant to let their guards down. Poirier soon found out just how tough Khabib’s ground game is after the whole getting dragged to the ground and physically abused ordeal began. He wasn’t able to let loose with his striking at all.
Khabib literally dragged Poirier about through that round, dropping brutal fists as he went along. It was a similar story in the second round, although ‘The Diamond’ did come forward and catch Khabib with a couple of punches. They definitely connected, but unless you knock ‘The Eagle’ down – which nobody has done – then it’s all for nothing. He’d get taken down and mauled for another round.
https://twitter.com/betmybookie/status/1170440802524250112
Endgame
The finish came in the third round. Poirier tried to engage on the feet, but was visibly nervous of Khabib’s takedown attempts – and it’s no wonder why really. He’d been abused on the ground and was already tired before the championship rounds had even started. When he got taken down – inevitably – Poirier tried to sink in a guillotine.
Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t keep it locked and Khabib broke free. That was the beginning of the end. The Russian fighter transitioned and took Poirier’s back. He locked in the rear-naked choke and Poirier quickly tapped. This fight was over just like that. It was a sublime performance by an incredible champion.
Refers to McNuggets as “Bullshit guy”. Classic Khabib 😂 #UFC242 pic.twitter.com/EKCQlk7HEp
— Yahya (@Yahya__18) September 7, 2019
What a Win
It would have been a massive upset if Khabib had of lost in front of a partisan crowd in Abu Dhabi. He’s a massive star in the Muslim world and spoke in Arabic to the fans in his post-fight interview. He also showed a lot of respect to Poirier, promising to donate money to ‘The Diamond’s’ charity foundation.
Meanwhile, an emotionally devastated Poirier explained his intention to remain graceful in defeat. He acknowledged how good Khabib was, but also discussed how frustrated he was with his own performance. He has nothing to be ashamed of. “The Eagle” is just on a different level to everybody else right now.
