"They're gonna learn the hard way" - Belal Muhammad shares how Khabib Nurmagomedov foresaw fall of Kamaru Usman and Tony Ferguson
Despite retiring four years ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to be a topic of conversation, with Belal Muhammad recently detailing how 'The Eagle' saw the makings of the respective downfalls of Kamaru Usman and Tony Ferguson. His insight was shared on episode #162 of The Joe Rogan Experience.
Muhammad has grown quite close to Nurmagomedov, with whom he has trained since UFC 280, which led to his first stoppage win in six years when he TKO'd the then undefeated welterweight Sean Brady. As he tells it, 'The Eagle' predicted the rough patches that both Usman and Ferguson have been on.
While Rogan spoke about how it is impossible to maintain excellence forever, Muhammad chimed in with Nurmagomedov's observations.
"Khabib [Nurmagomedov] said it from the beginning. He said you're always going to lose. There's a time for your thing. He said it about Kamaru [Usman], he said it about Tony Ferguson, said these guys are going to learn the hard way, and for me he said, 'If I stayed in, I'd probably end up losing sometime.' I don't think he would lose."
Check out Belal Muhammad share Khabib Nurmagomedov's prediction (53:13):
This isn't the first time that Nurmagomedov has shared his knowledge on the sport to a frightening degree of accuracy. He previously predicted that he would retire undefeated, which he did, departing the sport with a 29-0 record and three title defenses of the UFC lightweight belt.
Moreover, after witnessing the lopsided beating Ferguson suffered at UFC 249 against Justin Gaethje, 'The Eagle' predicted that his divisional rival would never be the same again. Now, years later, Ferguson is on an eight-fight losing streak, the worst in UFC history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov predicted Kamaru Usman's decline after UFC 278
At UFC 278, Kamaru Usman was knocked out cold by Leon Edwards in a comeback for the ages. The win left the entire MMA world stunned, and Khabib Nurmagomedov subsequently shared his belief that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' may never be the same again after such a knockout.
"I'm aware that the trilogy is already in the works. I believe he can beat Leon Edwards, but after such a knockout, a lot of people don't recover."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov express concern for Kamaru Usman (1:18):
As was the case with Ferguson, Nurmagomedov's foresight into Usman's future turned out to be accurate, as the welterweight great is now on a three-fight losing streak.