Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has praised the wrestling ability of retired UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, calling his success a result of exceptional execution rather than unique techniques, İdman.Biz reports.
Nurmagomedov retired from mixed martial arts in 2020 with a perfect professional record of 29 wins in 29 fights, ending his career as the reigning UFC lightweight champion. Throughout his career, the Russian star became renowned for his relentless grappling and dominant ground control against some of the sport's biggest names.
Speaking on Joe Rogan's podcast, Poirier explained that Khabib's greatness came from his ability to apply fundamental techniques against elite opposition without exposing himself to danger.
"The techniques Khabib used — everyone does them. But in fights with stakes that high, how did you perform those techniques and never get kicked in the face? Or kneed? The guys he fought were incredibly dangerous. And he just drowned them," Poirier said.
Poirier challenged Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title in 2019 but was submitted in the third round. Since retiring, Khabib has remained one of the most respected figures in MMA and has continued his career as a coach, helping develop several top fighters from his team.
