The pound for pound second best fighter in the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov, returns to the UFC after an eight month ban to again attempt to become the undisputed Lightweight champion of the world.
Nurmagomedov has an unblemished professional record of 27 fights for 27 wins including his first eleven inside the UFC Octagon.
His win against Edson Barboza at UFC 219 was among the most complete and dominant performances ever witnessed in the UFC and his subsequent win over Al Iaquinta (who took the fight on short notice) was extremely professional.
He is a terrifying prospect for anyone in the UFC however Dustin Poirier has earned the right to take on the Dagestani legend.
Poirier has put together four wins in a row against quality opponents in Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alverez and finally, Max Holloway to win the Interim Lightweight strap.
He is a top level striker. He is as fit as they come and he is seemingly very aware and motivated at the opportunity that he has afforded himself.
I’m not splitting atoms by suggesting that Poirier will need to do his best to keep the fight on the feet, a task that is easier said than done, and he has explained that his camp has included a lot of takedown defence and sprawling.
This is set to be a huge fight not only in terms of the Lightweight division but also for the sport as a whole in this part of the world.
Nurmagomedov is a beast. He is relentless in his pursuit to first, get his opponent to the ground, and then to keep them there. He expertly ties his opponents legs up and he uses his weight to his full advantage to hold them down.
Dustin Poirier’s best chance is in the opening exchanges of each round however to be perfectly honest, Khabib’s stand up game is very much underrated in my opinion and standing with him is dangerous prospect in itself.
We can not sleep on Dustin Poirier. He has a solid chin on him and his defensive guard is quite difficult to cut through.
Whilst I think he is a dangerous proposition to anyone, he has his work cut out for him in this fight and I have Khabib unifying his Lightweight belt once again.
BET: Back Khabib By Ko/TKO/Submission
BET NOW: UFC 242
