Dustin Poirier makes a stunning revelation about Khabib Nurmagomedov's strength: 'He looked like he weighed 450 kg'

Khabib celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Dustin Poirier once again praised Khabib Nurmagomedov as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history. Recalling their fight at UFC 242 in 2019, the former interim lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg) stated that the Russian's combination of strength and technique made him seem like he "weighed 450 kg" during the fight.

During an interview on 'The Fight with Teddy Atlas' on YouTube, the American detailed the feeling of facing Khabib in grappling and explained that his rival's dominance went far beyond brute strength. According to 'The Diamond', the constant pressure, combined with the former champion's physical power and refined technique, made it virtually impossible to escape his controlling positions.

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"I don't know if it was brute force or a combination of strength and technique that made him look like he weighed 450 kg," Poirier revealed.

Undefeated with a record of 29 wins, Khabib ended his career in 2020 after defending his lightweight title for the third time against Justin Gaethje . Since then, the athlete remains one of the greatest figures in the history of the sport and continues to receive praise from his former opponents, who frequently point to him as one of the most dominant fighters to ever step into the UFC octagon.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Dustin Poirier

On that occasion, Khabib put his undisputed lightweight title on the line against the then-interim champion. After controlling much of the fight with his trademark wrestling, the Russian submitted Poirier with a rear-naked choke in the third round, maintaining his undefeated record and giving yet another demonstration of the suffocating style that has marked his UFC career.

The defeat ended Poirier's interim reign, but it never diminished the American's admiration for his former rival. In various interviews over the years, the veteran has stated that the MMA legend was the toughest opponent of his entire career, always highlighting the constant pressure and the difficulty of neutralizing the former champion's game.

Away from the octagon, Khabib continues to create champions.

Khabib, Makhachev, Umar and Usman at a UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Retired with a perfect record of 29 wins and no losses, he remains one of the most influential figures in MMA. Since leaving competition, the Russian has dedicated much of his time to his coaching career, assisting some of the top names on the team that was led by his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Currently, he closely follows the careers of athletes such as UFC welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg) Islam Makhachev , bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) Umar Nurmagomedov , and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov . Even away from the octagon, he continues to exert a great influence on the sport and remains one of the most respected voices when it comes to high-performance competition.

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