Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

UFC Lightweight Contender Khabib Nurmagomedov Set for Surgery for Torn Meniscus

“The Eagle” will be grounded for the remainder of 2014.
That’s the news coming from Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, who reports that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be out until January due to undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus.
Nurmagomedov and Do…

“The Eagle” will be grounded for the remainder of 2014.

That’s the news coming from Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, who reports that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be out until January due to undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus.

Nurmagomedov and Donald Cerrone had agreements in place to face one another at UFC 178, but that’s obviously off the table now.

“That fight is made — it’s done,” UFC president Dana White said, per Helwani. “Twenty minutes later, [Nurmagomedov] went into the gym and blew his knee out. Twenty. F—ing. Minutes. Later.”

Nurmagomedov had surged up the lightweight rankings after running his professional record to 22-0, including a 6-0 run inside the Octagon. In his last outing, Nurmagomedov picked up the biggest win of his career with an unanimous-decision victory against Rafael dos Anjos back in April.

For Cerrone, it’s a huge damper on his plans to fight six times in 2014. The popular fighter has fought three times in the first half of 2014, picking up KO wins over Adriano Martins and Jim Miller along with a submission victory against Edson Barboza.

I’m sure the UFC will work to get Cerrone an opponent in quick fashion, as he’s quickly become a favorite of White’s for his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere.

Outside of fans missing out on what was sure to be an awesome fight, the injury to Nurmagomedov adds another speed bump in getting to the top of the lightweight division moving.

Anthony Pettis has been out since winning the title in August of last year and won’t compete again until December. TJ Grant has been sidelined for what seems like an eternity with issues stemming from a concussion. Benson Henderson continues to chug along, taking fight after fight, but it may be in vain if Pettis can retain his title since Henderson has lost to Pettis on two separate occasions.

The Pettis injury, combined with he and Gilbert Melendez coaching on The Ultimate Fighter: 20, has created a bit of a logjam for contenders in the lightweight division. Now we can add Nurmagomedov‘s injury to the list of reasons why the division is at a standstill.

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Donald Cerrone vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Booked for UFC 178, Immediately Canceled

Donald Cerrone helped even the most cynical fans rekindle their love of MMA with his tantalizing fight with Jim Miller on Wednesday, and the future seemed even brighter when rumors swirled that he was set to face Dagestani sensation Khabib Nurmago…

Donald Cerrone helped even the most cynical fans rekindle their love of MMA with his tantalizing fight with Jim Miller on Wednesday, and the future seemed even brighter when rumors swirled that he was set to face Dagestani sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

When news broke that Cerrone vs. Nurmagomedov was booked for UFC 178, there was much rejoicing. When UFC President Dana White discussed how the operative word in that sentence is “was,” however, there was much melancholy. 

According to White (h/t Chuck Mindenhall from MMAFighting.com), Nurmagomedov and Cerrone signed the contract, only for Nurmagomedov to suffer a serious injury just minutes later. “It was done. The bout agreements, done. Email went out last night from Joe Silva saying that this fight is done, both contracts were signed,” he said. “Boom, 20 minutes later, you’re not going to f—ing believe this, the fight is off.”

Cerrone and Nurmagomedov represent two of the hottest names in the lightweight division right now.

Cerrone, a top fighter in the WEC who has cemented himself as one of the best 155-pounders in the world in the years since, is on an impressive four-fight win streak. After dropping a troubling decision loss to Rafael dos Anjos in August 2013, Cerrone bounced back with an impressive submission win over Evan Dunham. From there he racked up three more stoppage victories over Adriano Martins, Edson Barboza and, most recently, Miller.

Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, has made waves with his ability to demolish solid lightweights. He made his UFC debut by submitting Kamal Shalorus and has since put up dominant wins over Gleison Tibau, Thiago Tavares, Abel Trujillo, Pat Healy and Rafael dos Anjos. He finds himself out indefinitely now, however, which puts his electrifying career on an awkward hold that could last for a full year.

The lone bright spot is that UFC 178 remains stacked. The card is headlined by the long-anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson and backed up by the returns of former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (opposite Takeya Mizugaki) and women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano (opposite Amanda Nunes). Add in a big middleweight tilt between Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero and a battle between welterweight strikers Patrick Cote and Stephen Thompson, and UFC 178 boasts an incredibly strong card on September 27.

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Barnburner Alert: Donald Cerrone vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Reportedly Booked for UFC 178 in September [UPDATE: GOD DAMN IT]

(Video related. / Self-props: The CP tumblr)

UPDATE: “20 minutes after Khabib-Cerrone fight was signed, Khabib blew his knee out and the fight is off UFC 178 card” — Kevin Iole. WHY MUST YOU MOCK US, GOD???

Feel free to stop reading at this point. An amazing fight was booked, and we were struck down for our hubris. End of story.

*****

According to a tweet by semi-retired MMA journalist Mike Chiappetta, lightweight gunslinger Donald Cerrone and Dagestani bear–wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov will face off at UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2, September 27th in Las Vegas.

Not only is it a fantastic matchup, it could potentially produce a title contender, as both men are currently hovering around the top of the 155-pound division. Cerrone’s knockout of Jim Miller on Wednesday was his fourth-straight victory, with all wins by stoppage (and all wins earning him a performance bonus).

Nurmagomedov is a perfect 6-0 in the UFC, and 22-0 (!) overall. He most recently out-pointed Rafael Dos Anjos in April, then decided to take the summer off due to Ramadan. After Cerrone’s win over Miller, Nurmy tweeted out the following:


(Video related. / Self-props: The CP tumblr)

UPDATE: “20 minutes after Khabib-Cerrone fight was signed, Khabib blew his knee out and the fight is off UFC 178 card” — Kevin Iole. WHY MUST YOU MOCK US, GOD???

Feel free to stop reading at this point. An amazing fight was booked, and we were struck down for our hubris. End of story.

*****

According to a tweet by semi-retired MMA journalist Mike Chiappetta, lightweight gunslinger Donald Cerrone and Dagestani bear–wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov will face off at UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2, September 27th in Las Vegas.

Not only is it a fantastic matchup, it could potentially produce a title contender, as both men are currently hovering around the top of the 155-pound division. Cerrone’s knockout of Jim Miller on Wednesday was his fourth-straight victory, with all wins by stoppage (and all wins earning him a performance bonus).

Nurmagomedov is a perfect 6-0 in the UFC, and 22-0 (!) overall. He most recently out-pointed Rafael Dos Anjos in April, then decided to take the summer off due to Ramadan. After Cerrone’s win over Miller, Nurmy tweeted out the following:

While the fight will certainly be scheduled for three rounds, that’s more than enough time for Cowboy and the Eagle to put on an all-out war. Who ya got?

The Jones/Gustafsson 2 card will also feature Dominick Cruz’s return against Takeya Mizugaki, Cat Zingano’s return against Amanda Nunes, and Tim Kennedy defending our liberties against Yoel Romero. Daddy likey.

Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘Ready’ for 5-Round Fight with Donald Cerrone

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 K…

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. 

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. 

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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UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Nurmagomedov Is the Only Fight to Make

Sometimes, the path is pretty clear when it comes to matchmaking in the UFC. Sometimes, two dogs are snarling at each other through the chain link, and you’ve just got to put them together and let them hash it out.
After UFC Fight Night 45 and the rema…

Sometimes, the path is pretty clear when it comes to matchmaking in the UFC. Sometimes, two dogs are snarling at each other through the chain link, and you’ve just got to put them together and let them hash it out.

After UFC Fight Night 45 and the remarkable showing by one Donald Cerrone, it’s pretty clear who he should fight next: prospect-turned-contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Cerrone looked excellent in stopping Jim Miller in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday night. He was smooth and confident, tackling the hometown slugger with the type of slick grace that is always evident when he’s on his game.

He was focused and committed to his plan of attack, and when the chance came to end the fight, he very calmly did so.

It was a textbook Cowboy victory—the type he’s had on occasion in the past and the type that truly makes one wonder if he could be a champion.

When he’s going like he was in AC, few men can match him.

One way to find out about that championship potential is to give him Nurmagomedov.

The young Russian is a chore for anyone in the game. At 22-0, the cold-blooded fighter has found it increasingly difficult to find opponents with each dominant win.

However, Cerrone is by no means afraid of a fight. He’ll sign on the dotted line.

Above all, the bout would accomplish two things.

It would settle, once and for all, whether or not Cerrone has the skills to contend for a title before his time in the sport is complete. It would also give Nurmagomedov the chance at a big signature win before he challenges for the title.

Whoever walks out of their meeting would have a pretty obvious claim to a title shot, especially considering the relative flux at the top of the lightweight heap these days.

Benson Henderson won’t get a shot anytime soon, Josh Thomson is fighting in a week, and TJ Grant has been out for a year with a concussion. After Gilbert Melendez gets his chance in December, there is no clear top guy to challenge for gold.

A few months ago, the UFC got it incredibly correct when it booked Cerrone vs. Miller. Fight Night 45’s thrilling main event proved as much.

The company now has the chance to get it right with Cerrone again, but this time against a tougher opponent and with higher stakes.

Cerrone vs. Nurmagomedov isn’t just a fight to make, it’s the only fight to make.

 

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!

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UFC Fight Night 42: 5 Potential Opponents for Benson Henderson

UFC Fight Night 42 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a big night for Benson Henderson, as the former lightweight champion scored his first stoppage victory inside the Octagon. His fourth-round rear-naked choke of Rustam Khabilov showed us that Henderson …

UFC Fight Night 42 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a big night for Benson Henderson, as the former lightweight champion scored his first stoppage victory inside the Octagon. His fourth-round rear-naked choke of Rustam Khabilov showed us that Henderson is capable of more than simply doing enough to earn a decision, cementing his spot at No. 1 in the UFC’s rankings.

Is Henderson evolving into a full-blown finisher? That much remains to be seen. While we don’t know whom he’ll face in his next outing, we know it won’t be Anthony Pettis, who is currently gearing up to coach the 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Gilbert Melendez.

The two opposing coaches will face off for the lightweight title at the end of the year, leaving Henderson to continue his uphill march back to contention. With most of the lightweight heap already booked in upcoming fights, who should be next for Henderson?

Should he wait for the winner of one of the highly anticipated lightweight scraps taking place over the next two months? Or should he take on someone who doesn’t currently have a dance partner?

Should he take on someone down the ladder a bit, such as Joe Lauzon or Myles Jury? Or should he go toe-to-toe with Khabib Nurmagomedov or Rafael dos Anjos?

Let’s take a look at five options for Henderson’s next opponent.

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