"You're lucky you injured today"- When Khabib Nurmagomedov reacted to Demetrious Johnson picking Edson Barboza to win at UFC 219

In a throwback moment, Khabib Nurmagomedov humorously confronted Demetrious Johnson for picking Edson Barboza to beat him at UFC 219. The light-hearted exchange occurred during an interview where Johnson admitted his loyalty to Barboza, citing the fighter's activity inside the octagon as the reason for his prediction.

Nurmagomedov, ever the competitor, jokingly quipped:

"You're lucky you injured today,"

eliciting laughter from everyone present.

Check out the clip below:

Nurmagomedov’s UFC 219 performance proved Johnson’s prediction wrong in spectacular fashion. In the co-main event, the undefeated lightweight showcased his dominance against the elite striker, Barboza.

Nurmagomedov's relentless pressure and world-class grappling overwhelmed his opponent, earning him a unanimous decision victory with scores of 30-25, 30-25, and 30-24.

Despite Barboza landing some notable strikes and defending several takedowns, Nurmagomedov controlled the fight with his devastating ground-and-pound and surprising improvements in his stand-up game. The victory silenced critics who doubted his ability to make weight or handle Barboza’s striking prowess.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov paid respect to Demetrious Johnson following recent retirement

Demetrious Johnson's retirement from MMA took center stage at ONE 168 on Sept. 6, where he announced the end of his illustrious career. The 38-year-old’s emotional farewell left a significant impact on the MMA community, with tributes flooding in from fans and fighters alike.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion, was quick to share his respect for Johnson. On Instagram, Nurmagomedov praised 'Mighty Mouse,' writing:

"One of the best who ever did this. @mighty"

Johnson made the announcement during the ONE 168 broadcast, just before the catchweight bout between Shamil Erdogan and Aung La N Sang. At the time, Johnson was still the reigning ONE Championship flyweight champion, a title he had held since Aug. 2022.

His retirement came after a legendary career that saw him dominate the UFC before transitioning to ONE Championship in 2019.

The two legends briefly crossed paths in 2018 when both held UFC titles—Nurmagomedov as the lightweight champion and Johnson as the flyweight champion until the latter's reign ended with a loss to Henry Cejudo.