Is it Khabib Time for good?

The most chaotic week in UFC history ended with a very smooth fight in the main card of UFC 223.

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision. He won with a pair of 50-43 scores and a 50-44, implying he took a pair of 10-8 rounds from two judges.

This was definitely not the best main card fight but considering the drastic turn of events this week, we have to be grateful that we at least got to see a fight.

Conor McGregor is officially no longer a UFC champion. What a contrast today is from November 2016 when he won his second title in New York. Who could have guessed he’d go on to fight Floyd, not defend either belt and get arrested for attacking a bus.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 8, 2018

So, it's official now, Conor McGregor is no longer the UFC Lightweight Champion. Making this clear ended a lot of uncertainty as to who was the real titleholder.

UFC still hasn't officially stripped Tony Ferguson of the interim champion's title, albeit Dana White, UFC President, made a statement saying this bout was for the undisputed Lightweight title.

“You’re Stripping Me Of A Title Because Of That Performance?” I See You Ninjas. #ufc223 Still My Mat. -Champ 👊😎 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/V9zjeDZgAe
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 8, 2018

Hot takes from this fight

This was definitely not the best Khabib fight in a long time and the fact that he couldn’t get a finish is a testament to just that.

Khabib did employ an excellent jab which bloodied up Iaquinta, but overall, it was not an excellent display of striking by the champion.

Khabib says he watched a lot of Muhammad Ali this week and he thinks that’s why he boxed so much.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 8, 2018

Tony or Conor can easily find openings in Khabib's game and change the outcome of the fight.

He did not really press the action and his takedowns and ground attacks weren't fantastic.

I think Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson would be the favorites if they fight Khabib next after tonight’s #UFC223
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) April 8, 2018

Personally, I have a hard time believing it's 'Khabib time' presently. Tony and Conor are still in the division.

Iaquinta did a good job with his takedown defence today, especially along the fence. He didn't win a round but he earned respect for taking up this fight on short notice and giving his opponent a tough competition.

- GSP fight in November
- Iaquinta's a real gangster
- Where's the chicken

That's a lot of information to digest, @TeamKhabib #UFC223 pic.twitter.com/N9wS1fpkJy
— UFC (@ufc) April 8, 2018

What next for Khabib?

Khabib called out St-Pierre in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Since Tony is injured and Conor stuck in legal quagmire, fighting GSP is a good option for him.

Earlier this week, in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Khabib mentioned that GSP would be a bigger fight for him, not from a financial standpoint, but for solidifying his legacy in the history of the sport.

Khabib also stated that he respects St-Pierre, and watched his bouts as a young fighter. But to secure his legacy, it’s very important for him to beat Georges St-Pierre

A mega fight with GSP is definitely marketable, But this fight doesn't make sense when Khabib has got unfinished business with top contenders like Tony and Conor.

I asked @GeorgesStPierre what he thought of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s post-fight comments. His response:

“I feel UFC and Khabib got unfinished business before I try to make a step in here to go for the 155 title.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 8, 2018

He said he wants to fight this November again; that is enough time for Dana White to find the right matchup for him.

Till then, IT'S KHABIB TIME...