Khabib Numagomedov was favored at UFC 254 today against Justin Gaethje, but the fight was still expected to be a close one. At least close on Khabib’s sliding scale.
Gaethje had seemed to take a leap as a fighter, pairing his striking and NCAA All-American wrestling background with an elevated level of composure, a mix he used to destroy Tony Ferguson back in May at UFC 249. Could the interim lightweight champion have a real shot against the undefeated full champ?
Well, no, not really. Khabib did what he always does: take his opponent down and finish him off.
He scored his first takedown (and the first of the fight) late in round 1:
After trading on the feet @TeamKhabib secures the first takedown! #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/74GGVwFg1s
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020
And then, in the second round, he finished things off, putting Gaethje to sleep.
I don’t think we will ever see a fighter/athlete like Khabib again. What a legend! #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/VXDFomSEpE
— Sami Ahmadi (@samiahmadi) October 24, 2020
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020
Respect. #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/pgS1YhI2CF
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020
After, Khabib immediately announced his retirement, citing the loss of his father (who also served as his trainer) in July to complications from Covid-19.
"Today is my last fight here in UFC." #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/sq6R9LxN1i
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020
The image of Khabib leaving his gloves in the ring is a lasting one. Assuming his retirement is real, he’ll go out as an undefeated and undisputed champion, and clearly one of the greats of all time. It’s a loss for fans and for the UFC, but what a career.
