Free Fight! Khabib Chokes Out Poirier In Abu Dhabi

Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Khabib Nurmagomedov will look to keep his undefeated run (28-0, 12-0 UFC) this Saturday night (Oct. 24, 2020) — which is set to go down inside Flash Forum located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — when he battels interim Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

But it won’t be “The Eagle’s” first championship bout on “Fight Island,” as Nurmagomedov last fight also took place in the same location long before the marketing genius’s over at UFC headquarters decided to stick that label on it during the worldwide pandemic.

Indeed, Nurmagomedov faced Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in another title unification bout in September of 2019. And it didn’t take long for Poirier to realize just what kind of night it would be as Nurmagomedov took him down a minute into the fight, and then went on to control him on the ground for the first five minutes.

In round two, Poirier found some success on the feet during the opening minute, but after Khabib closed the distance, it was another round of having “The Eagle” on top of him raining down punishment. When on the feet, Khabib used his grappling to keep “Diamond” from firing off any offense.

In round three, Poirier managed to time one of Khabib’s takedown attempts well enough to latch on a guillotine choke attempt. While he did have it on tight for a moment, “The Eagle” manages to break free before eventually sinking in a rear-naked choke to put an end to the fight.

Now, “The Eagle” will look to earn another championship win in Abu Dhabi by eliminating Gaethje from his path to ending his storied career with an undefeated mark.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 254 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2/ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 254: “Khabib vs. Gaethje” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.