5 moments that defined Khabib Nurmagomedov's career

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He has been a centerpiece in some of the most memorable moments in the sport's history, and has continued to be a fixture even after his retirement. Following the end of his fighting career, Nurmagomedov transitioned into a coaching role.

Nevertheless, many still long for the days of Nurmagomedov's dominance in the cage. He was a force of nature unlike any other. After a certain point, every single opponent who stood before him in the octagon knew exactly what his gameplan was. They were just helpless to stop him.

But in a career teeming with jaw-dropping, legacy-defining moments, which stand above the rest?

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#5. Khabib Nurmagomedov's dominance of Michael Johnson

Before UFC 205, Khabib Nurmagomedov was regarded as an undefeated fighter with potential, but his sheer dominance inside the octagon wasn't a frequent-enough topic. However, after he faced the lightweight division's resident power-puncher and godslayer Michael Johnson, everything changed.

Johnson lost to opponents he was expected to beat, and beat elite fighters he was expected to lose to. Though when Nurmagomedov faced him, it was a level of dominance rarely seen. Not only did he overwhelm Johnson with his wrestling and ground-and-pound, he also trash-talked him in inimitable fashion.

While most fighters talk trash outside the cage before the fight, Nurmagomedov held Johnson down like an older brother bullying his younger sibling, and implored him to surrender. He had to fight for the title and Johnson was just a paper tiger in front of a storm. After submitting him, it sparked the narrative of his dominance.

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#4. Khabib Nurmagomedov's 21 takedowns against Abel Trujillo

Abel Trujillo is an oft-forgotten name in MMA circles who has found himself on the wrong side of various criminal incidents. However, at one point he was a UFC fighter on a five-fight win streak with a respectable wrestling background. And at UFC 160, he faced a green Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The fight was an introduction to the kind of relentless takedown artist Nurmagomedov was. While his wrestling was well-known by then, his constant pursuit of takedowns and endless cardio weren't. Against Trujillo, Nurmagomedov made clear that defending even a few of his takedowns wasn't enough.

Fighters had to be prepared to do so for the entire fight or drown. Trujillo faced 28 takedown attempts, 21 of which Nurmagomedov completed. He ragdolled him, setting a record for the most takedowns completed in a single UFC fight: a record that still stands today. This birthed the legend of Nurmagomdov's wrestling.

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#3. Khabib Nurmagomedov confronting Artem Lobov

The reputation of Dagestani fighters is that they are extremes of men forged under the harshest conditions. They do not take kindly to disrespect, least of all when their manhood is questioned. This was no more apparent than when Khabib Nurmagomedov confronted Artem Lobov.

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov slapping Artem Lobov:

At the time, Lobov had taken part in an interview, where he spoke ill of 'The Eagle' in comparison to his then friend and teammate, Conor McGregor. Not only did he question Nurmagomedov's professionalism as a fighter, he also labeled him a chicken. Upon catching wind of Lobov's worrds, Nurmagomedov was heated.

On April 3, 2018, he cornered Lobov in a hotel lobby, surrounding him with his entourage. Nurmagomedov slapped and threatened a now much meeker Lobov, filming the encounter and sharing it online. This set in motion McGregor's UFC 223 media day bus attack, sparking one of the biggest rivalries in MMA history.

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#2. Khabib Nurmagomedov's win over Conor McGregor

The buildup to Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC 229 clash with Conor McGregor was a dark spectacle that crossed the boundaries of trash talk and fight promotion. So, by the time their fight came about, the anticipation was electric. The matchup, though, was a typical Nurmagomedov affair.

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor highlights:

Not only did he outwrestle McGregor as he often does, he also became the first fighter to knock McGregor down in the UFC. Moreover, the fight was defined by unapologetic cheating on McGregor's part. In the end, though, Nurmagomedov won, submitting the Irishman in round four with a neck crank.

However, with pent-up rage, Nurmagomedov scaled the fence and attacked McGregor's corner, starting the most infamous brawl in UFC history. The entire saga led to Nurmagomedov becoming a massive star, with many even forgetting that the fight was a title defense against a former lightweight champion.

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#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov retires undefeated

Ahead of UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov faced the narrative that Justin Gaethje would be his toughest matchup. After all, 'The Highlight' had the NCAA Division I All-American wrestling credentials to shut down Nurmagomedov's takedowns, and the power-punching and striking to beat him on the feet.

Instead, Nurmagomedov drowned him from the onset of the fight, giving Gaethje no breathing room, walking through his punches before taking him down and submitting him with shocking ease in round two. More importantly, he did so while shouldering the grief from his father's untimely death.

In his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from MMA, leaving the sport as the undefeated, undisputed UFC lightweight champion: the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world with a spotless 29-0 record. He has never bled, hardly ever struggled, and it immortalized the Nurmagomedov myth.