The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the past 10 years have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.
Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a staff-wide, composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade, which we’ll reveal Monday-Friday until Dec. 27. Today, we reflect on No. 8: Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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There’s not much to critique when it comes to current UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], who has emerged as one of the most unstoppable forces in the history of mixed martial arts.
Undefeated in his MMA career, Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) has run through all competition en route to capturing the coveted prize of a UFC belt. He has lost only one round in his career, in his first successful title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 229, a fight he ended up finishing.
Making his UFC debut in 2012, it was not an easy road for Nurmagomedov, who was plagued with injuries early in his career, frequently halting his momentum in pursuit of climbing the lightweight rankings.
After compiling a 6-0 record to start off his UFC tenure, Nurmagomedov picked up a big win over Rafael dos Anjos in April 2014. He was on the brink of 155-pound contention, but a series of knee injuries kept him sidelined for two years, seeing multiple fights with Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson scrapped.
Finally set to make his much anticipated return in a rescheduled bout against Ferguson two years later in 2016, the fight with Ferguson would once again fall through, but this time it was Ferguson who was forced out and replaced by newcomer Darrell Horcher. Nurmagomedov battered Horcher in a one-sided beating, taking him out in the second round.
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From that point, Nurmagomedov would start his dominant reign over the top contenders in the lightweight division, where he was able to maul the likes of Michael Johnson and Edson Barboza, which eventually led to his first title shot, a fight for the vacant lightweight belt once again vs. Tony Ferguson at UFC 223 in April 2018.
Unfortunately, the string of bad luck in the Ferguson fight bookings continued, and in a freak accident, Ferguson tripped over a wire, tearing his knee and forcing him out of the bout. He was briefly replaced by Max Holloway, who ultimately wasn’t cleared to compete due to weight issues, and in unlikely turn of events, Nurmagomedov would wind up facing Al Iaquinta, who was originally scheduled to compete on the same night vs. Paul Felder.
“The Eagle” would pick up another dominant win, employing a slightly different strategy, where he decided to stand and trade with Iaquinta in the latter rounds. It was still more than enough for Nurmagomedov to score a one-sided win, defeating Iaquinta by unanimous decision and claiming the UFC lightweight title.
His first title defense came in a grudge match against former UFC double champion Conor McGregor, who had been stripped of his title due to inactivity. The build-up to the fight got ugly, with McGregor taking numerous personal jabs at Nurmagomedov, in what would become the highest selling pay-per-view event in UFC history. Nurmagomedov was able to get his revenge in the cage, submitting McGregor in the fourth round, using his patented ground-and-pound brutality. Despite losing a round for the first time in his career, it was another perfectly executed fight by Nurmagomedov.
Following the win, Nurmagomedov let out all of his emotions and proceeded to jump over the cage and attack McGregor’s corner. A brawl ensued, and Nurmagomedov ended up receiving a nine-month suspension, forcing him to the sidelines until the following summer.
After serving the suspension, Nurmagomedov would finally cap off the year by taking on then-interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi in a title unification bout. It was the UFC’s first trip to Abu Dhabi since 2014, where Nurmagomedov, a practicing Muslim, has become somewhat of a hometown hero in the Middle East.
Poirier was coming into the fight having won his last five in a row, notching performance bonuses in every one of his wins. He captured the interim title by defeating then-UFC featherweight champion Holloway in one of the best fights of the year.
Just when you thought Nurmagomedov couldn’t top his win over McGregor, he picked up another finish. His pressure once again proved too much, as he was able to control Poirier, choking him out in the third round and notching his second successful title defense.
Considering the early struggles Nurmagomedov faced with numerous injuries and comparing it to where he is now, it’s been a remarkable run. As the competition level got higher, Nurmagomedov got more dominant.
Perhaps he would have been ranked higher if he wasn’t forced to sit out for two years over the past decade, but he is an undeniable candidate, nonetheless. Nurmagomedov already has his first task of 2020, as he is set to face Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18, where hopefully the fifth time will be the charm.
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