October 26 ------ Reigning UFC lightweight world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov made his case of being the best pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter following a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254 at Fight Island in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning (Philippine time).
It was typical Nurmagomedov as he immediately went to pressure his foe right from the opening bell with his jabs and right straight. Gaethje seemingly overreacted to everything the champion did and was taken down before the first round ended. Gaethje landed his kicks the following round but was taken down. While on the mat, Nurmagomedov went for a triangle choke that slept his opponent at the 1:34 mark of round two.
The dominant victory improved Nurmagomedov’s perfect record to 29-0 while Gaethje fell to 22-3. Citing that there is nothing left to prove after his latest win, an emotional Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from MMA during the post-fight interview.
In the co-main event, former UFC middleweight world champion Robert Whittaker turned in one of his best performances to date against Jared Cannonier. Whittaker mixed his punches and kicks that saw Cannonier hurt during the three-round contest. The judges saw the fight for Whittaker after 15 minutes of action, all three scorecards were 29-28.
Source: gmanetwork.com/news/sports