Khabib Nurmagomedov was undoubtedly the most challenging opponent for any lightweight in MMA. His dominance in fights was so overwhelming that he rarely lost a round, thanks to his elite grappling skills that turned every match into one-sided traffic. Recently, Michael Johnson reflected on their bout at UFC 205, comparing it to facing a middleweight due to Khabib’s sheer strength and control.
At UFC 205 in November 2016, Michael Johnson squared off against Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight bout. Johnson showed grit, but Khabib’s grappling mastery ultimately led to a third-round submission victory for ‘The Eagle’. Talking to Mike Perry on the Overdogs Podcast, he shares that focusing too much on his wrestling made Johnson overlook his strengths, which he later felt like fighting middleweight.
“Bro, he’s good, strong. He felt like a middleweight, and that’s a problem. I couldn’t move, but he helped me get better. I went back to the gym and started working on that so, without that fight, I wouldn’t be here,” in his words.
😳🦅 Michael Johnson recalled back to his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2016 at UFC 205, and how fighting him was the equivalent of fighting a middleweight.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 28, 2024
“I just went in there kind of waiting for him to shoot, trying to find my motions. I was kind of crouched down, and I… pic.twitter.com/BL3SSFCgv8
That fight can definitely be seen as the moment Khabib’s rise to stardom began. MJ was a big name in the MMA world back then, and still is, but at that time, he was in his prime. Khabib’s victory over him helped establish him as a dominant force in the lightweight division.
Islam Makhachev Set To Break Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s Record
Makhachev is set to put his lightweight title on the line against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. The champ has already defended his belt three times since he took it from Charles Oliveira. With this fight, Makhachev has a chance to break a major record in the lightweight division, aiming to surpass the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov’s record for the most title defenses in UFC history.
Currently, Makhachev is tied with legends like B.J. Penn, Benson Henderson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the most lightweight title defenses. A win over Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 would break Khabib’s record. Khabib, who often supports Makhachev in his corner, has trained him.
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