Ahead of the much-anticipated fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, the company have released a promo trailer for the title fight, which has sent fans wild. The fight, which takes place on October 24, will see current UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib defending not only his title, but also his perfect 28-0 record, against the interim champion Gaethje. This will be Khabib's first fight since September of last year when the Russian choked out Dustin Poirier to retain his Lightweight title. He had defended his title once before, submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Gaethje, an Arizona native, earned the privilege to fight Khabib after a TKO win against Tony Ferguson in May this year. He comes into the fight with a 22-2 record, recording 19 of those wins by knockout.The fight will take place at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, familiar surroundings for Khabib as he finds himself in the same venue as when he defeated Poirier.And the promotional video released by UFC is sure to whet the appetite of sports fans everywhere, not only UFC stalwarts.It begins by showcasing Gaethje's victory against Ferguson, with the winner refusing the interim belt - stating he "will wait for the real one."
"He has dominated spectacular fighters, he's defeated world champions, he's an undeniable, unstoppable force," says Joe Rogan of Khabib, as a voiceover accompanies clips of the abilities of The Eagle.
One of the most interesting points made in the video is that Khabib wins his fights by taking his opponents down and "mauling" them - something which Gaethje is yet to succumb to in his career.
"Before the fight, everybody says "now it will be a good challenge", what are they going to say after I smash him," are the words from the Champion.
"I want to be the best 155lb man on the planet Earth," retorts Gaethje "so Khabib's got to go."
If Khabib manages to see off the challenge from Gaethje, it will only further propel him into legendary status. But for Gaethje, it's a chance to stake his claim as a force in his own right.
Either way, it's not one to miss.