"He's a real highlight" - Khabib Nurmagomedov recalls how Justin Gaethje helped him cut weight for a UFC fight in 2016
Khabib Nurmagomedov has praised Justin Gaethje for helping him with a weight cut back in 2016.
Last year at UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov defended the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje. In what ultimately proved to be a fairly one-sided affair, 'The Eagle' managed to defeat 'The Highlight' via submission.
Now, over a year later, Khabib has retired from mixed martial arts. Justin Gaethje, meanwhile, is still a top contender.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Nurmagomedov told a fun story about Gaethje and how he helped him prepare for a fight in the UFC.
“I respect Justin, I love this guy. He’s a very good guy. In 2016, when I was cutting weight when I was supposed to fight with Darrell Horcher, he helped me for cutting weight. In the last couple days he stayed with me, he was PFL lightweight champion, at that time it was called WSOF, and he was champion. He is a very nice guy. He’s a real highlight.”
Catch ESPN MMA's interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov below:
Khabib also clarified that while he does believe Justin Gaethje is an incredible fighter, he stands by his opinion that Islam Makhachev deserves a shot at the UFC lightweight championship.
Hot take: Khabib would not have been able to stand with Gaethje for three rounds
What’s next for Justin Gaethje?
Justin Gaethje returned to action at Madison Square Garden earlier this month with a magnificent decision win over Michael Chandler.
The former interim champion had to overcome some real adversity en-route to getting his hand raised. After securing the win, many were calling for him to get a crack at the strap.
With Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier coming up next month and Islam Makhachev fighting Beneil Dariush in February, the lightweight division is really heating up. The top 15 is stacked with legitimate contenders who could all cause problems for the champion in different ways.
Down the road, a clash between Gaethje and Islam Makhachev feels like it could be a real possibility, maybe even for the belt.