Khabib Nurmagomedov Wins The Lightweight Title At UFC 223 And Calls Out Georges St-Pierre

It’s been a crazy week for the UFC that has resulted in multiple fight changes and cancellations to UFC 223. The biggest of those switch ups was undoubtedly the main event, which saw Khabib Nurmagomedov’s opponent change from Tony Ferguson to Max Holloway to #11 ranked Al Iaquinta, who has been best known over the past two years for his often foul-mouthed tirades about UFC mistreatment.

But when the UFC asked if he’d step up on one day’s notice to fight Khabib, Iaquinta didn’t hesitate. Unfortunately for him, Nurmagomedov is an absolute beast even when you have a full camp to prepare. His wrestling game is already legendary, and that’s what he used to control Iaquinta and punish him with relentless ground and pound. Again and again, Iaquinta worked to stand back up but every time Khabib would drag him back to the canvas. In the end, it went to the judge’s scorecards, with Nurmagomedov taking it 50-44, 50-43 & 50-43.

Iaquinta’s best chance came in the third round and fourth rounds when the fight stayed on the feet. With his hands hanging down by his waist, Khabib’s striking defense didn’t look exactly stellar. For ten minutes Iaquinta had a chance to swing with Nurmagomedov, but the magic punch never landed. Between rounds, Khabib’s coach told him to get back to the wrestling, but due to fatigue or pigheadedness, the fight remained standing.

Halfway through round five, a frustrated Nurmagomedov shifted into overdrive, pushing forward with kicks and flying knees before finally clinching another takedown. From there it was two minutes of Khabib smashing a downed Iaquinta and attacking with the rear naked choke. In the end, Iaquinta was too tough to finish, and the fight went to a decision with the judges scoring it 50-44, 50-43 & 50-43 for Nurmagomedov.

The win makes Khabib Nurmagomedov the UFC lightweight champion, a title that belonged to Conor McGregor right up until the moment Nurmagomedov’s hand was raised in victory. It’s just another detail in what’s quickly turned into a massive beef between Conor and Khabib. McGregor ended up in jail on Thursday after vandalizing a bus trying to attack Nurmagomedov. That, in turn, was a response to Nurmagomedov’s camp ambushing McGregor’s friend Artem Lobov and slapping him.

“Iaquinta is real Brooklyn gangster,” Khabib said after the fight. “This is not about chicken [McGregor]. Iaquinta is real gangster. He come here. Where is Conor? He wants to fight with bus? I want to fight with real gangster. Iaquinta, thank you so much!”

Unfortunately, McGregor’s status with the UFC is iffy because he injured several innocent bystanders during his bus attack. But with so much money to be made on the very real feud between the Irish and Dagestani stars, we have to think the UFC will go ahead and make the fight, even if they pretend to hold their noses while doing it. But if McGregor is unavailable for whatever reason, Nurmagomedov had a backup plan: he went ahead and called out former welterweight and middleweight champ Georges St-Pierre.