UFC vet reacts as he looks back at being ranked just below Khabib Nurmagomedov in the 2017 lightweight rankings
Back in 2017, Khabib Nurmagomedov hadn't yet completed his ascension to the top of the UFC lightweight division. He was, however, well on his way, and was ranked No.2 ahead of several notable 155-pounders, and an ESPN MMA Instagram post commemorating the rankings at the time drew the attention of one of them.
The fighter in question is none other than Edson Barboza, th who faced 'The Eagle' at UFC 219 at the very end of 2017 and was ranked #3. Unfortunately, the bout did not go Barboza's way, as he was dominated by Nurmagomedov across three brutal rounds that saw him absorb tremendous punishment.
He survived only through toughness, losing via unanimous decision on the scorecard. So when he popped up in the comment section of the Instagram post, he didn't have much to say. In fact, he didn't use his words at all, instead replying with a pensive face emoji.
After beating Barboza, Nurmagomedov was scheduled to headline UFC 223, where he was originally set to face longtime divisional rival and then interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in the promotion's fourth attempt at booking the pair in a matchup.
They would have competed for the vacant undisputed lightweight title, which the UFC had stripped Conor McGregor of due to inactivity. However, the matchup never took place, as Ferguson withhdrew from the event altogether after tripping on a UFC set, tearing his LCL.
Afterward, 'The Eagle' was briefly paired up with then featherweight champion Max Holloway, who was subsequently declared medically unfit to fight. For this reason, the promotion had the unbeaten Dagestani face Al Iaquinta for the title. In a fiive-round domination, Nurmagomedov captured the belt.
Thereafter, he defended the belt thrice, submitting McGregor in a UFC 229 grudge match, Dustin Poirier at UFC 242, and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 before retiring at 29-0.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Edson Barboza share an opponent in common
Despite their different career trajectories and Edson Barboza currently competing at featherweight, he and Khabib Nurmagomedov actually share an opponent in common from their lightweight days: Michael Johnson. However, that's where the similarities end.
Barboza suffered a unanimous decision loss to Johnson, who was in turn run over by Nurmagomedov in three rounds, culminating in a kimura at the two-minute mark.