Coming into the UFC 219 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 29-year-old native of the Russian Republic of Dagestan was carrying the weight of incredibly high expectations on his shoulders.

READ MORE: Now or never: Khabib Nurmagomedov heads into career-defining bout at UFC 219

UFC fans, especially his compatriots back in Russia watching the fight live despite the time gap, were eager to find out if Nurmagomedov could keep his perfect pro MMA record (24-0), and make up for the canceled bout with Tony Ferguson due to weight issues.

And Nurmagomedov did not disappoint, dominating his opponent for three rounds and winning by unanimous decision, proving the skeptics wrong and showing once again that he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC lightweight division.

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