'You know why you won?' - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals reason Jan Blachowicz beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 259
Shortly after his victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz was greeted by Khabib Nurmagomedov. "The Eagle" congratulated Blachowicz for his successful title defense and also had some words of praise for the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion.
In the main event of UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title for the very first time. The reigning 205-pound champion stopped Israel Adesanya's quest to become the latest UFC double champion and went on to beat "The Last Stylebender" via decision following a five-round barnburner.
After his win, Jan Blachowicz met Khabib backstage at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The reigning UFC lightweight champion pointed out that Blachowicz was able to beat Adesanya due to his spectacular ground game and wrestling skills.
The exchange between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jan Blachowicz can be seen below as part of the UFC 259: The Thrill and The Agony - Sneak Peek
At the UFC 259 pay-per-view, Khabib Nurmagomedov was in the corner of his long-time teammate, Islam Makhachev. The rising lightweight prospect secured a big victory over Drew Dober via submission. In doing so, he made a statement to the rest of the 155 pound division.
With Khabib opting to stay retired, Islam is being touted as the next UFC lightweight champion from Russia. With "The Eagle" in his corner, Makhachev could be in for bigger and greater things in the UFC's lightweight division.
What's next for Jan Blachowicz after UFC 259?
After his win at UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz confirmed that he will be defending the UFC light heavyweight title next against veteran Glover Teixeira. The Polish champion believes that Glover is worthy of a title shot, especially after coming in as a standby for the main event of UFC 259.
The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is expected to take some time off from the octagon entirely before getting back to camp to prepare for a fight against Glover. The challenger has been on an impressive run of late, defeating the likes of Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.