Issue 150

January 2017

With a 28-0 record, Khabib Nurmagomedov has never lost a fight in his MMA career.

In the race to be the next man to face Conor McGregor, unbeaten Russian sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov sent out a message of intent with his vicious kimura at UFC 205 in New York City in 2017.

Dominant on the ground as always, ‘The Eagle’ busted Michael Johnson up with relentless punching prowess to set up his submission at Madison Square Garden, proving once again why some are dubbing the Dagestani destroyer as the biggest threat to ‘The Notorious’ and the next UFC lightweight champion.

1: Nurmagomedov is in side control, with Johnson’s left arm trapped between his legs. Johnson tries to push off the fence to escape.

2: Johnson manages to find the space to free his left arm, but takes the focus off his right which Nurmagomedov now has under his total control.

3: Nurmagomedov has the kimura lock secured with a figure-four grip and steps over Johnson’s head with his left leg to restrict his movement.

4: Johnson walks his feet along the cage to create space to alleviate the pressure on his shoulder, but Nurmagomedov stays heavy to stop him.

5: Referee John McCarthy takes a closer look as Nurmagomedov starts to push off his left leg, and torque Johnson’s left arm under his body.

6: With his right arm once again trapped under Nurmagomedov, Johnson can barely tap out, but McCarthy recognizes his appeal and stops the fight.