While the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is still up in the air, the promotion has uploaded the undefeated lightweight’s first contest under the UFC banner.
Prior to Nurmagomedov’s debut in the UFC back in 2012, the 31-year-old was lighting up the mixed martials arts world by getting dominate wins in Tsumada Fighting Championship, M-1 Challenge, and ProFC. Nurmagomedov amassed a strong 16-fight winning streak before his official UFC debut, which includes a 2008 Pankration Atrium Cup Tournament win, and knockouts against top prospects such as Ashot Shaginyan, Alexander Agafonov, and Vitaliy Ostroskiy.
The Russia native isn’t the only fighter to enter the UFC undefeated, but some ended up floundering in the top promotion; however, no one could have guessed that Nurmagomedov would end up being the company’s next big star, first beating names such as Thiago Tavares, Rafael dos Anjos, and Michael Johnson, before winning the prestigious UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 223.
There’s no telling how long the Russia native’s undefeated streak will continue; however, fans have certainly enjoyed watching Nurmagomedov continue to showcase why he’s one of the best fighters in the world. Before the lightweight’s big rise to the top, check out his debut fight against Kamal Shalorus on January 20, 2012: