UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov says there is no bad blood between himself and Justin Gaethje ahead of their title unification battle and revealed how his latest championship rival actually helped him make weight for a crucial bout early in his UFC career.
Nurmagomedov (28–0 MMA 12–0 UFC) and Gaethje (22–2 MMA 5–2 UFC) are set to contest the undisputed crown in the main event of UFC 254 on Oct. 24 and the undefeated Russian said he has no personal beef with “The Highlight” ahead of their matchup.
“I’ve known Gaethje for a while since he fought in WSOF ” Nurmagomedov explained (via RT Sport translation). “I remember in 2016 when I was returning after I had three surgeries in a row when Tony Ferguson got injured and I got Darrell Horcher on nine days’ notice (at UFC on Fox 19). Justin helped me cut weight. I had a tough weight cut. He helped me cut the last 2.5 kilograms (approximately 5.5 pounds) the morning before the weigh-ins.
“I remember I dropped the last kilogram in the hot bath. You might not know how we cut weight — you spend 15 minutes in a hot bath then you’re wrapped in a towel and go back in. You do that three four times. He helped take me out of the bath because there weren’t enough people around. Islam Makhachev was cutting weight so was Omari Akhmedov. We were all fighting the same night. You need a couple of people around you and Justin was there for me so I have no ill will toward him.
“He fights (and) wants to be the best in the world and I respect his efforts. He achieved a lot in the sport and I think he’s a worthy opponent. You saw what he did to Tony Ferguson. I don’t underestimate him. It’s strictly professional. We’ll get in the cage shake hands handle our business and leave.”
Ufc fight starting after a long time. So everybody knows it,s a high voltage match.
DATE: 25 OCTOBOR 2020 LIVE BROADCASTING ONLINE TV AND WEBSITE
TIME: 10.00 AM
LOCATION: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Main Event: Lightweight, WHBO
Khabib:
Full Name: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Birth: September 20 1988, Russia
Full Address: Khabib Nurmagomedov ,Height: 1.78 m, Weight: 70 kg
Total match: Total match 28, win 28 and lost 0 match
Gaethje:
Justin Gaethje, November 14, 1988 (age 31 years), United States
Height: 1.8 m
Wrestling: NCAA Division I Wrestling
It’s official, this October, Khabib returns to the Octagon to take on interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje, in a bid to reclaim his belt and champion status.
Announcing the fight earlier this month Dana White made the official announcement in an interview with CNN.
“It’s gonna happen, I’ll tell you right here, right now,” the UFC president said. “That fight’s gonna happen. Khabib vs Gaethje, October 24.”
Khabib was originally scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, however due to travel restrictions imposed by coronavirus, he was required to withdraw from the fight. In lieu of this, Justin Gaethje responded to the call to take on Ferguson for an interim lightweight belt, taking a strong victory by TKO in the fifth round.
Gaethje is a Division 1, all American wrestler boasting an impressive resume. A two time state wrestling champ, Gaethje carries power in his punch, a brilliant striker, he is known for his finishing ability inside the Octagon, finishing each of his opponents to date.
Khabib is an undeniable champion, currently undefeated with 28 wins, he holds the longest active undefeated streak in the UFC. Capturing the lightweight title with a unanimous decision win over Al Ianuinta at UFC 223, since then, he’s gone on to successfully defend his belt with submission wins over Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
