UFC 205 is headlined by a lightweight championship fight, but the main event is not the card’s only meaningful lightweight showdown. No. 1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov will square off against No. 6-ranked Michael Johnson in an undercard battle that carries strong title implications.
Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon in April after a two-year absence from competition. By scoring a knockout victory in that contest, he issued notice that his halted title run is now back on track. A win over Johnson might be the last stop before paydirt.
Johnson is coming off the most important win of his career, a knockout of Dustin Poirier. The victory ended a two-fight losing streak and catapulted Johnson up the lightweight ranks. While a triumph over Nurmagomedov might not usher Johnson into contention, it would place him within visible distance of a title shot.
In anticipation of this crucial lightweight contest, we take a look at how Nurmagomedov and Johnson match up.