"He hit like a truck" - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals which opponent hit him the hardest during his career
Former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed that Justin Gaethje is the hardest hitting fighter he has faced in the octagon.
Speaking on the Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson podcast, 'The Eagle' shared that it was 'The Highlight' who hit him with the most powerful blows.
"This guy [Justin Gaethje] hit like truck, you know. Nobody hit me harder than Justin Gaethje. His kick, his punch, his left hook, right hook, right uppercut," Khabib Nurmagomedov said.
The Dagestani fighter went on to reveal what he did to counter Gathje's power.
"I make him hit me, you know. When I go to the cage and I was sitting like, 'Okay, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna bring him into the deep ocean...I'm gonna make him tired in stand-up and I'm gonna bring him on ground and finish him."
You can watch the full episode of the podcast below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov's last appearance in the UFC octagon came in October 2020 when he took Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title at UFC 254. It represented Khabib's third title defense.
'The Highlight' came out all guns blazing and started throwing heavy punches and kicks, but 'The Eagle' eventually managed to take him to the ground in the second round and finished him via a triangle choke.
In his post-fight interview, the Dagestani fighter announced his retirement from the sport. Khabib has since taken up an increased coaching role and appears to be having a pretty decent go at it. He's amassed a 7-0 record in his fighter's corners this year.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is hailed by many as the best lightweight to ever compete in the UFC
With an undefeated MMA record of 29-0, Khabib Nurmagomedov has a solid argument for being the best 155-pound fighter in the world, let alone the UFC. Throughout his entire professional MMA career, the Dagestani fighter has never been cut or dropped by his opponents.
'The Eagle' ran through the entire lightweight division and has impressive names on his resume, including Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor, Al Iaquinta, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
After his win over Gaethje, Khabib also climbed to the No.1 spot in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings.
Although we might never see the Dagestani fighter compete again, Khabib Nurmagomedov will definitely go down in history as one of the best to ever do it.