Khabib Nurmagomedov congratulates Jan Blachowicz after UFC 259 win with special message

UFC 259 was huge for Jan Blachowicz. Not only the polish star defended his light heavyweight title and handed middleweight king Israel Adesanya is first-ever MMA loss, he was also praised for his impressive takedowns and wrestling by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov – who is known for his acclaimed wrestling and is hailed as the one of the most dominant grapplers in history.

Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya: Khabib meets Blachowicz

After giving his UFC 259 post-fight interview, Blachowicz encountered Nurmagomedov backstage and received some kind words from the pound-for-pound king. The moment was captured by a crew and can be seen in the preview of UFC 259’s special, “The Thrill and the Agony”. “Thank you for the support,” Blachowicz told Nurmagomedov. “I appreciate it. It was a great fight,” Khabib responded.

“Great takedowns. You know why you won? Takedown. To takedown to wrestling, wrestling is power,” he added while hugging Blachowicz.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has not fought since October when he successfully defended his 155lb strap by submitting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. After the bout, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement, saying that he made a promise to his mother that the Gaethje fight would be his last as his mother doesn’t want him to continue without his father by his side. Khabib’s father and head coach, Abdulmanap, passed away in July 2020 due to complications arising from COVID-19.

Despite Nurmagomedov’s announcement, UFC President Dana White is adamant to bring him back for one last run. While talking about the champ at the UFC 259 pre-fight press conference, White claimed all the top nine fighters in the lightweight rankings will make a perfect opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedov. Rather than letting Khabib vacate his title, White wants to let the lightweight division unfold more before booking another title fight, adding that there is a possibility that Khabib will be interested in making a return by then.

At 29-0 overall, Nurmagomedov has one of the best records in MMA history, which also includes wins over Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson and Rafael dos Anjos. As per reports, The Eagle is focusing on ventures outside the Octagon since announcing his retirement. He’s thinking of becoming a full-time coach as he was recently seen cornering his teammate Islam Makhachev against Drew Dober at UFC 259.

Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya: Jan Blachowicz next fight

Jan Blachowicz, on the other hand, has announced that he’ll be defending his title next against 41-year-old Glover Teixeira. However, Blachowicz needs at least six-month rest before coming back as he also wants to spend some time with his son, who was born in December 2020.  

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