“It’s a very close fight,” Khabib Nurmagomedov on UFC 269 main-event featuring Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier title fight

Retired, undefeated mixed martial artist and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is now just a veteran student of the fighting game but also an ongoing coach for his fellow Russian mixed-martial artists. He knows a thing or two when he talks about different fighters and their fights, especially at the lightweight division.

Khabib retired as an undefeated mixed martial artist at 29 wins and zero losses. He defended the lightweight title thrice before retiring from MMA on a very emotional note. Khabib promised his mother that he won’t fight after UFC 254 (when he last fought) fight against Justin Gaethje since it was the first time Khabib was fighting without his father, his coach Abdulmmanap Nurmagomedov due to his sudden demise back in July last year.

Since then retirement has kept Khabib busy with the roles of a promoter in his Russian MMA promotion Eagle FC and coaching his fellow cousins a.k.a. teammates in UFC and Bellator MMA.

WATCH! What Khabib Nurmagomedov has to say on Dustin Poirier vs Charles Oliveira for the UFC Lightweight Championship

Khabib Nurmagoemdov’s fellow trainee Islam Makhachev is on a monstrous nine-fight winning streak since his loss in 2015. Islam’s latest win comes at UFC 267 against top-contender at lightweight Dan Hooker, where Islam finished Hooker via spectacular first-round submission of kimura.

With that said, Islam is into the title conversation definitely for the upcoming title fights in the lightweight division. As of now, Khabib speaks on the upcoming main event at UFC 269 where Dustin Poirier gets his second title shot against reigning champion Charles Oliveira. Poirier’s first title shot came against Khabib himself where Khabib defeated Poirier by third-round submission.

In an interview with, Red Corner MMA, Khabib tells “It’s a very close fight, it’s a very close fight. When I think like spirit and fight IQ [of Poirier], it’s a little bit ahead of Charles Oliveira, no disrespect to Charles Oliveira but I just think, Dustin Poirier (for the winner).”

Poirier has been on a three-fight win streak since his loss to Khabib back in 2019. Poirier’s latest win comes from a first-round doctor stoppage win of Conor McGregor. “The Diamond” though has wins over former UFC champions like Max Holloway twice, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez and now Conor McGregor.

Oliveira is on an incredible nine-fight win streak and is the current UFC lightweight champion, he has significant wins over Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jeremy Stephens and Jim Miller. Oliveira has the UFC record for most finishes in history.

Khabib also gave his take for Michael Chandler vs Justin Gaethje fight held at UFC 268, and surprisingly, he thinks both have a 50-50 chance and are equal in all the aspects of their game. Hence, Khabib doesn’t know where one could advance the other, except for the kicks which are in Gaethje’s favour as per him.

Also Read: WATCH! Conor McGregor back to action, posts video of powerfully punching on boxing mitts

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