Following his head-kick knockout over Jim Miller on Wednesday night, former WEC title challenger Donald Cerrone only has so many matchups that make sense for him at the top of the UFC’s lightweight division.
Luckily, he called out top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov prior to the bout with Miller, per MMA Fight Corner, and the undefeated Russian superstar likes the idea.
Lets go, I’m ready, @Cowboycerrone @danawhite @ufc @lorenzofertitta @arielhelwani @dc_mma pic.twitter.com/QlF7JvshXx
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) July 17, 2014
The American Kickboxing Academy standout is apparently not very patient, as he has already sent out a follow-up message to the UFC and company president Dana White.
I want 5 rounds with @Cowboycerrone , I want to test myself, @ufc @danawhite
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) July 17, 2014
The win on Wednesday evening marked Cerrone‘s fourth in a row since November of last year, with all of the victories coming via a stoppage.
While Cowboy is undeniably on a roll, Nurmagomedov arguably has more momentum than anybody else on the UFC roster.
Boasting an unblemished 22-0 professional record overall, The Eagle is 6-0 inside the Octagon since January 2012—largely due to the fact that no one has come up with an answer for his takedowns.
The Russian grappler’s last victory came against fellow contender Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 11 in April, as the Brazilian couldn’t solve Nurmagomedov‘s ground game.
According to the UFC’s official rankings, Nurmagomedov is the No. 4 lightweight in the company, while Cerrone cracks the list at No. 6, though that may change after his decisive win over Miller.
Following UFC Fight Night 45, is there a high-profile lightweight clash that makes more sense than Cerrone vs. Nurmagomedov?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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