Prior to UFC 242, MMA fans and observers all knew that Khabib Nurmagomedov was a pretty big deal in his native Russia. But, when you see how many people in the nation watched his latest victory, it’s still impressive nonetheless.
Nurmagomedov’s win at UFC 242
Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon this past weekend for the first time since October, 2018, when he submitted Conor McGregor at UFC 229. This time around the lightweight champ took on Dustin Poirier. After escaping a third round, guillotine choke attempt, Khabib ended the fight with a rear-naked-choke.
Report on the fight’s view tally in Russia
Well, recently RT reported that Nurmagomedov’s submission at UFC 242 has already been watch 26 million times in Russia. The fight was made available for free on the nation’s Channel 1’s various platforms (Perviy Canal). The bout was watched live in Russia by approximately 24% of adult viewers on Saturday night. So, ya. Clearly Khabib’s profile in Russia remains absolutely massive.
Now it will be interesting to see when and if the UFC has Khabib fight in his home country. The promotion is returning to Moscow for a November 9th card, but obviously that’s too soon in the future for Khabib to compete. Further, the event is not slated for pay-per-view and the main event – Junior dos Santos vs. Alexander Volkov – has already been announced.
With Saturday’s victory, the 30 year-old Nurmagomedov now holds a record of 28-0.
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