Another UFC 209 free fight has arrived.
At the historic UFC 205 event inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, Khabib Nurmagomedov took on Michael Johnson on the FOX Sports 1 (FS1) portion of the event’s prelims. It was “The Eagle’s” 24th professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout.
Many believed a victory over Johnson would solidify Nurmagomedov’s contender status if it hadn’t already been established. The No. 1 ranked lightweight on the official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) rankings submitted “The Menace” and will now compete for the interim 155-pound gold.
Nurmagomedov will share the Octagon with No. 2 ranked lightweight Tony Ferguson inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight will serve as UFC 209’s co-main event.
The official YouTube channel of the UFC posted “The Eagle’s” Nov. 2016 bout with Johnson. Things weren’t all smooth for Nurmagomedov in the early going. Johnson clipped Nurmagomedov in the first round. “The Eagle” tied up his opponent and brought him down to the ground.
From that point on, “The Menace” had no answer for the ground game of Nurmagomedov. He took Johnson down early in the second and third round. In the final frame, Nurmagomedov locked in a kimura and forced the tap to improve his record to 24-0.
