K. Nurmagomedov in an interview after the UFC 242. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube UFC
The lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg.), Khabib Nurmagomedov, once again impressed the MMA world with a convincing performance. The athlete hit Dustin poirier, this Saturday (7), in a fight valid for the unification of the title of its division, in UFC 242. After the event, the athlete asked the event to place him in first place in the company's weight-for-pound ranking, as it belonged to his teammate, Daniel Cormier. The request was made at the press conference after the show.
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“Just give me respect. Put me in first place in the weight-for-pound rankings next week. I think I deserve this. I dominated all my opponents. I am undefeated. I deserve this”, asked the champion.
Khabib, in recent interviews, has talked a lot about legacy and the importance of having respect when talking about martial arts. The fighter then challenged the way he is treated by fans and even Ultimate.
“An interesting thing about this sport is that, even if you are undefeated in your career with 28 victories, you are one of the biggest stars, you crush all your opponents, people will still say that you have to fight one or the other” , said the Russian.
With each fight, Nurmagomedov has increasingly silenced his critics and established himself as one of the toughest athletes in MMA history. The fighter debuted in Ultimate in January 2011 and has never been defeated in the company.
The Russian became lightweight champion by beating To the fifth, in 2017, and win the belt that belonged to Conor McGregor, but was removed from the Irishman due to the fighter's inactivity.
Still on the topic of legacy, one of Khabib's confessed desires is to face one of the greatest legends of Ultimate and mixed martial arts. The fighter has already expressed his desire to share the octagon with Georges St-Pierre, former welterweight (up to 77kg) and middleweight (up to 83,9kg) champion.
after the UFC 242, the Russian made a point of praising Georges, whom he called a legend. However, Khabib has already admitted that he has no desire to work in categories other than his own (lightweight). St-Pierre would then have to go down to lightweight to take part in the fight.
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