Khabib Nurmagomedov has remained unbeaten throughout his glorious MMA career, cementing a 29-0 clean record. None of his opponents could even make ‘The Eagle’ bleed.
However, Khabib Nurmagomedov has lost two rounds in his entire career. Conor McGregor was the first man to overtake the Dagestani legend in a round, while Justin Gaethje could do the same when he fought Nurmagomedov for the lightweight belt.
The fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov is still the biggest PPV event in UFC history.
While Khabib gained most of his stardom after the fight, Conor McGregor brought worldwide attention to the UFC 229 event just when the bout was announced. Here’s a look at the fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor- UFC 229
In October 2018, Conor McGregor returned to the UFC and challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight championship, the belt which Conor McGregor never lost when he became the titlist.
Conor McGregor looked sharp in the beginning as he successfully defended several takedown attempts from the champion.
In round three, Conor McGregor had a few successful moments, and he beat Khabib Nurmagomedov on the scorecard.
Meanwhile, Khabib Nurmagomedov revived in round 4 and choked out Conor McGregor in a career-defining submission.
The official scorecard for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor. #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/uwoO2XIesu
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) October 7, 2018
Not only did Khabib Nurmagomedov beat McGregor, but he also began a brawl with the Irishman’s team, which is still recognized as one of the worst controversies in the company’s history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje- UFC 254
Two years after beating McGregor, Nurmagomedov had his last UFC fight against Justin Gaethje on October 2020 at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. The fight began with Gaethje exchanging punches with the champion.
To everyone’s surprise, Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t shoot for a takedown in the first round and he lost the fight on the scorecard.
Nevertheless, ‘The Eagle’ submitted Justin Gaethje in round two. It was the champion’s first fight after father and coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s unfortunate demise.
#UFC254 Official Scorecard: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje
All Scorecards: https://t.co/DeW9qO1NNL#InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/jtJE0BGp0R
— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 24, 2020
An emotional Khabib Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves after the fight and never returned to the game again. He left as the undefeated undisputed UFC lightweight champion, ranked No.1 in the P4P list at that time.