[ad_1]
For Khabib Nurmagomedov, the chance to rise to the top one day could prove irresistible.
With a win over Justin Gaethje this Saturday at UFC 254, Nurmagomedov would not only record his third consecutive defense of the lightweight title, but improve his impeccable professional record to 29-0. He has beaten a dozen UFC opponents, with dominant victories against elite fighters such as Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza and Rafael dos Anjos.
It’s rare for a combat sports athlete to go their entire career without a loss, but Nurmagomedov, 32, plans to do just that and follow in the footsteps of legendary boxers like Rocky Marciano and McGregor’s nemesis Floyd Mayweather. Now it’s just a matter of finding the magic number that will be enough for Nurmagomedov to put down the gloves forever.
“I honestly don’t know,” Nurmagomedov told Yahoo! Sports (transcript via The Body Lock). “30-0 is going to be great. It looks good, it sounds good.
“30-0, okay. It’s going to be a great record, this is like Mayweather in MMA. We’ll see, I’m very close to that. “
Beyond the big question mark of what his fight with Gaethje will be like, Nurmagomedov’s plan to go at least 30-0 hinges on what’s next for him after another win. “El Águila” will apparently have cleared his division, although several potential clashes continue to be proposed. McGregor has long campaigned for a rematch after losing to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, a perpetually snake-bitten showdown with Tony Ferguson remains a possibility despite losing some of his cache with Gaethje that halted the long winning streak. de Ferguson, and both Nurmagomedov and UFC legend Georges St-Pierre have expressed mutual interest in a legacy battle should “GSP” decide to compete again.
Nurmagomedov also recently said that UFC president Dana White has “something special” in the works for him, though neither has gone into detail about what it could be and Nurmagomedov expressly asked White to wait until after his fight with Gaethje to move on. discussions.
Even if opponent No. 30 doesn’t turn out to be a momentous name, Nurmagomedov is already confident that a win against Gaethje will further cement his reputation among the all-time greats.
“Who knows?” Nurmagomedov said. “Well, I end up with Justin Gaethje, I end up with one more guy, I master him, I think my name will always be in the story,” Nurmagomedov said. “I think my name is going to be in history because two years ago what happened [against McGregor] it will never be forgotten. Even after 50 years, people will see this fight and be impressed. This is like when Muhammad Ali fought [Joe] Frazier in Manila. People never forget this fight.
“I am already in history but I need a legacy. For the legacy, Justin Gaethje is a great opponent right now. “
Next. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski expects a fight with Brian Ortega.
Evolution. Ortega had to level up to score a big win over “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Challenge. Jessica Andrade is ready for a fight with UFC flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Get better. Umar Nurmagomedov’s UFC debut has once again suffered from a downside.
UFC Fight Island 6 post-fight show featuring featherweight contender Calvin Kattar.
UFC Fight Island 6 Post-Fight Press Conference
UFC 254 cold open.
UFC 254 countdown
Father and son.
Dan Hardy breaks down all the action on Saturday.
The highlights of Teofimo Lopez vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko.
6th Round. UFC Fight Island 6 immediate post-fight analysis.
Severe MMA. Speaking of UFC Fight Island 6, Khabib-Gaethje and the open scoring.
Khamzat Chimaev wants to travel back to UFC 1.
I wanna fight three dudes on an old school night, come on @danawhite let’s piss everyone off
– Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) October 19, 2020
Triple C in search of another C.
Tony Ferguson. GSP? SUG ???
Dustin Poirier is ready for January.
January 23
25 minutes to make life more fair.
– The diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 19, 2020
Jon Jones is Jon Jonesin on social media.
Sad when you see a person so motivated by hate … no wonder you are seeing someone because of their state of mind, that is not sustainable.
– BONY (@JonnyBones) October 17, 2020
Interviewer: what is your learning style, do you like to read, audiobooks?
Confused child: I like to call my learning style look-see-do
It’s no wonder his inner circle is trying to keep him away from me. His admiration is real, he has allowed it to turn into unhealthy hatred.
– BONY (@JonnyBones) October 17, 2020
Take a DC page and leave the Jon Jones chapter alone. You will find yourself happier. I don’t lose it easy .. Fucking with me is bad for your health
– BONY (@JonnyBones) October 17, 2020
Thiago Santos is a knockout artist and I was with him for 25 minutes. He fought him where he was best, he had Anthony Smith in a fetal position throughout the fight. But it sure sucks hahaha. High standards when I get it https://t.co/AxqlIC1Qcf
– BONY (@JonnyBones) October 17, 2020
Michael Chandler can roam freely.
Justin Gaethje and Zombie.
Adam Borics (15-1) vs. Erick sanchez (9-5); Bellator 250, October 29.
Jared Scoggins (10-1) vs. Toby Misech (11-7); Bellator 250, October 29.
Kevin Holland (19-5) vs. Makhmud Muradov (24-6); UFC Fight Night, October 31.
Alex Morono (17-6, 1 NC) vs. Rhys McKee (10-3-1); UFC Fight Night, November 14.
Jessica Eye (15-8, 1 NC) vs. Joanne Calderwood (14-5); UFC 257, January 23.
With Brian Ortega versus “The Korean Zombie” in the books, that’s a highly anticipated Fight Island showdown that went off without a hitch. Surely the same will be true for Khabib Nurmagomedov against Justin Gaethje, right? Right.
Jed Meshew will be back tomorrow, thanks for reading!
Poll
Who was the biggest star of UFC Fight Island 6?
-
82%
Brian Ortega
(165 votes)
-
7%
Joanne Calderwood
(14 votes)
-
7%
Jimmy Crute
(14 votes)
-
one%
Jonathan Martinez
(2 votes)
-
one%
Jun Yong Park
(2 votes)
-
one%
Other (leave comment below)
(3 votes)
200 Votes Total
Vote now
If you find something you would like to see in the Morning Report, press @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let him know. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram, add us on Snapchat at MMA-Fighting, and like us on Facebook.
[ad_2]
