"He was steps ahead of me" - Dustin Poirier explains why Khabib Nurmagomedov's grappling is the best he's ever seen
![Dustin Poirier (left) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (right) [Image Credit: @dustinpoirier & @khabib_nurmagomedov via Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/29ace-16339776827474-800.jpg?w=500)
Dustin Poirier recently explained why Khabib Nurmagomedov's grappling is the best he's ever seen in his MMA career.
The former interim UFC lightweight champion spoke about Nurmagomedov's ground game in his recent interview. Patrick Bet-David asked Poirier who he thinks has the best ground game out of the opponents he has faced. 'The Diamond' replied:
"Khabib Nurmagomedov... I've never felt anything like it and you know I have 46 fights. I've fought all kinds of different people , all kinds of different styles and been around the world training at gyms. This guy is good. His understanding of his weight distribution, where my weight needs to be to keep me up, to build back up and his understanding of grappling is impressive. The best I've ever felt, the best I've ever seen... his understanding of what I needed to do and what positions I needed to be in to advance. He was steps ahead of me."
Watch Dustin Poirier's take on Khabib Nurmagomedov's grappling skills below:
The Louisiana native also lauded 'The Eagle' for holding an undefeated streak. Poirier went on to point out how hard it is for a fighter to remain undefeated in MMA.
Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully defended his UFC lightweight title for the second time in his bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242.
After beating Justin Gaethje in his next fight, 'The Eagle' announced his retirement from MMA. The Dagestani left with an impressive 29-0 record, including 13 straight wins in the UFC.
Dustin Poirier will fight for the lightweight title at UFC 269
Dustin Poirier will face Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 269 on December 11. The matchup will be Oliveira's first title defense.
Charles Oliveira defeated Michael Chandler in the second round of their bout at UFC 262, capturing the vacant UFC lightweight strap. 'Do Bronx' currently has the longest active win-streak in the lightweight division.
'The Diamond' had previously passed a title shot against Oliviera in favor of a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor. Dustin Poirier won the rubber match via TKO after McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round. The former interim UFC lightweight champion is riding a three-fight win streak going into this championship bout. He beat Dan Hooker before picking up back-to-back TKO wins over the Irishman.