Khabib Nurmagomedov remains undefeated after UFC 148, defeating UFC veteran Gleison Tibau via unanimous decision (30-27×3). With the win, he moves to 18-0 in his MMA career and 2-0 in the UFC.
Though Nurmagomedov is walking away with the victory, it’s not without controversy. Many believe that Tibau, who had more takedowns and seemed to be getting the better of the striking, should have won. Nurmagomedov did manage to pin Gleison against the cage for much of the fight, but landed little offense from that position and was unable to get any takedowns.
Controversial or not, it was the biggest win of the 23-year-old prospect’s career and is one that will move him up the lightweight ladder.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
The wonky decision.
The fight itself was not overly entertaining, so whenever people look back to this fight, it will probably be to talk about how they agreed or disagreed with the decision.
What we learned about Gleison Tibau:
Nothing we didn’t know.
He’s a tough customer with good striking and good grappling. Though he’ll likely never reach title contention, he makes a solid gatekeeper for the lightweight division.
What we learned about Khabib Nurmagomedov:
He’s a gamer and he does what it takes to win.
In this fight, Nurmagomedov did not look like the more technically skilled fighter, but he stayed aggressive and made Gleison fight his fight.
Not an exciting performance, but impressive in some respects.
What’s next for Gleison Tibau:
Jeremy Stephens, perhaps. Both men are coming off losses.
What’s next for Khabib Nurmagomedov:
Big win for Nurmagomedov, but the UFC may hesitate to give him too much of a jump up in competition because of the controversy around his win. Matt Wiman is a possibility.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian.Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.
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