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Brad Riddell has praised Khabib Nurmagomedov for his ability to stay unbeaten throughout his mixed martial arts career.
While he may no longer be competing professionally in the sport, Khabib Nurmagomedov still leaves an incredible impression on MMA and the UFC. 'The Eagle' retired last year in the wake of his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, taking his record to 29-0 before hanging up his gloves.
Brad Riddell, on the other hand, is one of many UFC lightweights hoping to follow in Khabib’s footsteps by capturing the 155-pound title.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Brad Riddell spoke about Khabib’s run and how it came to an end.
“Lately, I don’t know why, there’s just been a surge in ruthless fights and insane amounts of damage that’s been happening to people. I don’t care how much you enjoy fighting, you don’t want that to happen to yourself, for sure. It’s a smart man’s game. I mean, Khabib had a pretty good career, man. He went in there pretty untouched and came out pretty untouched. He left with a lot of money and a lot of fame. He did it the right way.”
Catch Brad Riddell's appearance on Submission Radio below:
How close is Brad Riddell to a title shot?
On Saturday night, Brad Riddell will step into the cage to take on Rafael Fiziev in one of the most anticipated lightweight fights of the year thus far. If he wins, it’ll take the Kiwi star to 5-0 in the promotion and will surely vault him into the top 10 of the division.
However, even if he does secure an impressive victory, you’d have to think he’ll still be a few wins away from actually challenging for the belt. Brad Riddell is an unbelievably talented fighter but once you reach the upper echelons of lightweight, it’s nothing but killers.
One day he may get the chance to replicate what Khabib accomplished but for the time being, he has some work to do and it starts at the weekend against Fiziev.
