Khabib Nurmagomedov’s rise to stardom

Many critics and fans among the MMA world probably consider last Saturday’s UFC 242 PPV one of the most historical events of all time, with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defeating top contender Dustin Poirier by submission during the third round. With Khabib holding an undefeated record of 28 wins with no losses, it seems that the Russian grappler has solidified himself as one of the best current pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Because of this, Khabib to his credit has also received a massive fan support on a global basis, as some might even argue that he has become one of the most popular fighters in MMA history. Despite being involved in a highly-controversial feud with fellow lightweight and box-office megastar Conor McGregor, Khabib continues to be beloved by many fans worldwide for not only his fighting ability, but for his charitable deeds outside the octagon.

And speaking of his feud with McGregor, it’s been well-documented that his past championship bout with McGregor at UFC 229, which ended with Khabib winning by submission in the fourth round, was the most bought UFC PPV in history with a reported 2.4 million buys. Khabib’s risen in popularity has also marked himself as a massive box-office draw as well, as there’s been a recent report by Yahoo Sports that suggests his fight with Poirier will receive huge buys on PPV considering viewership from multiple video platforms for online promotional content relating to their fight has garnered more than 112 million views. As it comes down to it, It seems that Khabib’s win over McGregor at UFC 229 launched him to another level of stardom, according to these numbers that are being recorded.

With Khabib’s success continues in the octagon, many MMA fans are already clamoring for the idea of him defending his lightweight title belt against Tony Ferguson, as many feel there’s a great chance of it happening. Ferguson for a long time has been considered a top contender for the UFC’s lightweight division. If this potential match-up happens in the near future, will Khabib continue to dominate as an unstoppable force or will Ferguson be the one to overthrow Khabib’s reign as champion?