UFC 254 recap: Nurmagomedov retires and a new chapter begins

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JANAN SHOJA DOOST

Adrenaline and excitement were at an all-time high when the cage door closed for the last time during UFC 254 on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. The undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was finally set to defend his belt against the interim title holder and challenger Justin Gaethje in a 25-minute bout. Prior to fight night, both Nurmagomedov and Gaethje displayed determination heading into the match, and much publicity was given to Gaethje as many believed that he had what it took to bring down Nurmagomedov.

The extreme calmness and gravity of the champion, however, was something that caught the attention of many. Having recently lost his coach and father to COVID-19 complications, fans could see that Nurmagomedov was trying to mask his pain and sorrow with high intensity pre-fight workouts and utter professionalism during press conferences. With the fight finally occurring on Oct. 24, everything else faded away and only legacy and athletic eliteness were matters of concern.

Although the fight was unravelling at a regular pace in the beginning rounds, it was obvious that both fighters were trying to be cautious with every move, since so much was at stake. The first round consisted of powerful calf kicks and accurate striking combinations by Gaethje. The champion responded to these attacks by putting pressure on Gaethje while attempting effortless take downs to turn the momentum of the fight in his favour.

The second round followed the same trend, although Gaethje did not know that his last leg kick was going to be the beginning of the end. Nurmagomedov’s immediate reaction to the kick was another takedown, scrambling on the canvas and holding Gaethje in a tight triangle choke, which ultimately led to the referee’s stoppage as Gaethje’s half-conscious body could not tap out properly.

Upon being victorious, Nurmagomedov hushed the attendants’ cheering, fell to his knees in the middle of the octagon, and was overcome with emotion and tears. What happened next, however, shocked everybody: with a perfect record of 29 wins, Nurmagomedov announced that he would be retiring as he does not want to continue his MMA career without his father by his side.

With the longest undefeated winning streak in MMA and top-notch exhibition of wrestling and sambo skills in every fight, what Nurmagomedov has done for the sport is unprecedented. Yet the show must go on and the dynamic lightweight division ought to crown a new champion soon. Despite losing the match, the doors are open for Gaethje to redeem himself against other top contenders such as the former interim champion Dustin Poirier, the martial arts mastermind Tony Ferguson, or UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

Although all except Ferguson have already faced off against Nurmagomedov, each deserve their high ranks due to their unique skills and qualities that set them apart from the remainder of the division. As a former champion at the World Series of Fighting organization, Gaethje has repeatedly said that he is not afraid of violence and is willing to do whatever it takes to brawl and show dominance in a fight.

Parallel to Gaethje’s win of the UFC interim lightweight belt, Poirier has also always been set to maul over opponents with his outstanding boxing skills. However, no one else in the UFC roster is as creative, unorthodox, and unpredictable as Ferguson. Finally, money, fame and two-division championship belts are not enough to satisfy McGregor, who is always ambitious for more.

Even though Poirier and McGregor were recently announced to fight in January of

2021, it will be interesting to see if UFC matchmakers will assign the winner to either Gaethje or Ferguson, especially since the latter two have already fought each other once. Although we will feel the void of Nurmagomedov’s retirement, the future is bright, and these bad-ass contenders are here to stay. So what are we waiting for? Let the games begin.