UFC 223 Khabib v Iaquinta: 2 YEARS after ‘The Eagle’ was topped king, a legacy stays uncemented

It was an April 7 night time in New York that the UFC’s present 155 lbs ruler was topped king. Relive the second Khabib Nurmagomedov grew to become light-weight champion with a win in Brooklyn over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 precisely two years in the past.

READ MORE: OFFICIAL: Ferguson to face Gaethje in UFC 249 fundamental occasion after Khabib sidelined in Russian coronavirus lockdown

Unbeaten, up-and-coming and seemingly unstoppable, Khabib Nurmagomedov was a hovering star inside the UFC ranks in 2018, having amassed an ideal paid slate of 27 victories from 27 bouts in skilled MMA to tear by means of the light-weight division and bang on the door for a title shot.

Native boy Al Iaquinta wasn’t first option to attempt to clip the wings of the Dagestani Eagle at Brooklyn’s Barclays Middle on April 7 2018; as a matter of reality, nor was he second or third. True to custom, the notoriously unpredictable roads main as much as a Khabib battle took 4 separate twists with the selection of opponent.

The straight-talking, papakha-sporting Russian had initially been pencilled in to lock horns with Tony Ferguson for the 155 lbs championship – the fourth time that saga had been because of happen – however no person was laughing when Ferguson pulled out with a knee harm on April 1.

By the way, historical past would repeat itself precisely two years on from that day when Khabib formally introduced he wouldn’t wiggle spherical covid-19 journey restrictions for a fifth battle with ‘El Cucuy’ at UFC 249, having traveled from the US to Abu Dhabi after which again to his dwelling in Russia’s North Caucasus area.

Within the continuing six days after Ferguson’s 2018 pullout, the UFC frantically looked for a substitute opponent, however that rapidly grew to become secondary to a subplot that may eclipse even the cardboard itself.

A smattering of unsavory occasions unfolded within the days previous to UFC 223, and ubiquitous unhealthy boy Conor McGregor had already made his unmistakable imprint on the occasion earlier than it even started.

In a scene extra becoming of one of many myriad gangster movies set inside the boundaries of New York’s 5 boroughs, McGregor executed his personal hit; the irate Irishman and his crew sprinted in the direction of a coach transporting UFC fighter’s from the sector after a press convention, together with his supposed goal: Khabib. 

McGregor launched a dolly which shattered a window pane and sprayed shards of glass onto the passengers inside. Khabib was unharmed within the melee however Michael Chiesa was gashed and compelled to drag out of his battle with Anthony Pettis.

That feud was rooted in an incident when Khabib slapped McGregor’s shut good friend Artem Lobov in a lodge after the Russian-born adopted-Irishman allegedly branded his fellow countryman a coward compared to his stablemate.

The incident incensed McGregor, who subsequently turned himself in to the NYPD after his hit-and-run and was sentenced by a New York choose for disorderly conduct – however the backstory for his blockbuster assembly with Khabib months down the road was gifted one other chapter.

In the meantime, the seek for Khabib’s new opponent rumbled on. Featherweight title holder Max Holloway may have emulated McGregor in turning into a ‘Champ Champ’, however was declared medically unfit to battle. Chiesa’s harm freed up Anthony Pettis, however after he tipped the scales at a fraction over the division restrict he declined to weigh in as soon as extra.

When unranked Paul Felder was turned down, his opponent Iaquinta, a licensed actual property agent by day, stepped as much as the plate on the eleventh hour and UFC 223 had a fundamental occasion.

Regardless of some cussed work from Iaquinta wherein the plucky New Yorker initially went in search of the takedown in opposition to maybe probably the most feared grappler within the sport, the primary spherical was dominated by Khabib. The Russian appeared to serve up his bread and butter with alligator-like takedowns and a hellacious floor and pound recreation.

As if trying to break Iaquinta’s psychological in addition to bodily will from the opener, Khabib may very well be heard barking into the ear of his rival, a twist of gamesmanship for which he had change into well-known.

The tempo slowed within the second, Khabib administering a vice-like grip on Iaquinta as he exerted his superior wrestling expertise, opening up a possibility to grab the American’s neck however Iaquinta’s sheer resilience noticed him wriggle free each time. 

The third and forth noticed a standup recreation ending in a stalemate the place each landed heavy pictures, Iaquinta penetrated Khabib’s nearly impregnable guard however the Russian would have the higher of the exchanges.

The fifth spherical was a formality and Khabib ate up the minutes upright and at distance to seize the unified light-weight championship by unanimous choice, though the removed from classic type of his victory produced a myriad of questions on his functionality of preserving in with a striker akin to Conor McGregor.

Khabib would go onto emphatically reply these questions and extra when a fourth spherical neck crack silenced any critics in Las Vegas in October 2018, forcing the brash Irishman to give up with a faucet, an admission of failure to regain the light-weight crown he received simply two years prior.

Khabib’s win got here on the finish of a torrid street of press convention and media days the place Khabib was subjected to a circulation of epithets and abuse from a scathing McGregor.

The Russian’s career-defining second below the neon lights in Nevada was a private victory over a person who had insulted and violated his faith, his background, and most significantly his folks.

His subsequent vault from the octagon and ensuing mass brawl catapulted Khabib additional into the sporting stratosphere and introduced him as a family identify, one thing which he capitalized on by submitting the likable and succesful Dustin Poirier to verify his score as the most effective pound for pound fighters within the sport right this moment.

Two years on and Khabib ought to this month be cementing a legacy that started that night time in New York, however occasions past anybody’s management once more transpired to derail the Dagestani warrior’s lengthy climb to MMA immortality.

Two years on and its now 5 instances a battle with Ferguson has didn’t materialize. Khabib stays in Russia having fled the US amid the covid-19 pandemic, however the occasion will nonetheless go forward on an unnamed island per UFC head honcho Dana White. 

Khabib is now compelled to attend, powerless, to stitch up his legacy and exit unbeaten from the sport having confronted all contenders, and a battle with Tony will likely be forged additional into doubt ought to the latter not achieve success on April 18.

The UFC 249 saga will play out with out its fundamental protagonist and regardless of the injustice served to each Khabib and Tony, maybe these that may lose out most are the followers, who’ve bing dealt the very actual chance of that battle going down approach being the primes of the 2 greatest 155-pounders.

Until we’re sixth-time fortunate.

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