'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tonight's highly awaited UFC 242 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi featured a UFC Lightweight Championship unification bout between current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim UFC Lightweight Champion, Dustin Poirier.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's return
Having last fought at UFC 229 back in 2018, this was Nurmagomedov's return to the Octagon after an absence of almost over a year. In his last outing, The Eagle absolutely dismantled former UFC Double Champion, Conor McGregor, after making him tap out in the fourth round of their fight.
Following the fight, a brawl broke out between Nurmagomedov's team and McGregor's team that eventually led to the former being suspended from Octagon competition. This led to the UFC booking an interim Lightweight Title fight between Dustin Poirier, who had finished former Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and reigning UFC Featherweight Champion, Max Holloway.
At UFC 236, Poirier dominated Holloway and eventually won the interim UFC Lightweight Championship, as he marked his first title win in the promotion.
UFC 242- Khabib vs Poirier
Tonight at UFC 242, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the world was set for an explosive Lightweight Championship main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. Nurmagomedov, upon his return to the Octagon, dominated Poirier right from the get-go, as The Eagle put his insane amount of strength into the display and took down The Diamond in the very first round.
With Nurmagomedov dropping Poirier down to the mat, The Eagle also landed a few heavy shots and caught his opponent with some brutal knee strikes, as well. As the fight restarted in the second round, Poirier found himself an opening and caught Nurmagomedov with a few notable strikes, however, it was back more of the same as the champion once again took down Poirier and used his wrestling to keep the challenger down.
Into the third round and all it took Nurmagomedov was 2 minutes and 6 seconds, as he trapped Poirier in a rear-naked choke and made him tap out to retain his Lightweight Title and unify both the championships, in the process.
With this win Nurmagomedov now extends his winning streak to 28-0.
