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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who also wore gold at 145 pounds, is considered one of the strongest punchers in the division. And “Notorious” has the numbers to back it up, scoring 19 brutal knockouts in 22 wins.
But in the case of reigning 155-pound king Khabib Nurmagomedov, the toughest shots he’s ever taken are those of his UFC 254 headliner on pay-per-view (PPV ) against top contender and former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) champion Justin Gaethje.
That’s according to UFC President Dana White.
“Khabib was telling me that when I was with him last night, and I didn’t know that, maybe you did but everything he and Gaethje was talking about during that fight,” White said at the UFC Fight Island. 7 post-fight press conference (transcribed by Damon Martin). “He told me last night that he’s never been hit or hit harder in a fight than by Gaethje.
As he did in his title fight against McGregor at UFC 229 at the end of 2018, Nurmagomedov (19-0) was able to weather the storm and work for an end-of-fight submission. And no “Eagle” fight would be complete without a few jokes during the fight.
“Gaethje hit him with a few shots, then he thought Gaethje looked a little weird and he pointed his finger at him and said ‘you have jet lag’ in the middle of the fight”, said White continued. “Gaethje said ‘No I don’t’ and hit him with an uppercut and left hook. Khabib said something to him again and he kicked him. Then I guess when Khabib knocked him down and was on top of him he said, ‘Now what are you going to do?’
Nurmagomedov, 32, retired after beating Gaethje but a persistent White insists “The Eagle” will fly again if McGregor is able to do something “spectacular” against Dustin Poirier – another victim of the Dagestani Hall of Fame race – in the UFC 257 main event this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
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