Joe Rogan labelled Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘something special’ after record-breaking ‘mauling’

Khabib Nurmagomedov showed just how dominant his grappling skills could be on this day in 2013.

Joe Rogan credits the discipline of Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev as the key factor that has led to their remarkable success inside the Octagon.

Though fight fans have become used to seeing fighters from Dagestan who bring elite wrestling to the table, ‘The Eagle’ was the first of his kind.

The former lightweight champion, who retired with an undefeated record of 29-0, was so far ahead of his competition that any slight chink in Nurmagomedov’s armor was enough to shock Rogan and his fellow commentators.

At UFC 160, Nurmagomedov proved that he could totally nullify his opponents by setting a UFC record that still stands today.

• READ MORE: Joe Rogan opens up about major ‘struggle’ with commentating on Russian UFC fighters including Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin

Khabib Nurmagomedov broke the record for most takedowns in a single fight at UFC 160

At UFC 160 on May 25 of 2013, Khabib Nurmagomedov looked to record his fourth consecutive win inside the Octagon when he faced Abel Trujillo.

After beating Kamal Shalorus, Gleison Tibau and Thiago Tavares, ‘The Eagle’ continued his rise by defeating the four-time NAIA All-American via unanimous decision.

The result alone doesn’t tell the full story of this fight as Nurmagomedov completely dominated all three rounds with his relentless wrestling approach.

When the final bell sounded, the undefeated contender had broken the UFC record for most takedowns in a single fight with 21.

The record was previously held by Sean Sherk in his win over Hermes Franca at UFC 73 where he secured 16 takedowns over five rounds.

Though UFC commentator Mike Goldberg spoke about the wrestling credentials of Trujillo, Joe Rogan stated that the two men were on completely different levels.

“Yeah but Nurmagomedov is really something special when it comes to grappling though.”

When watching the highlights of Nurmagomedov rag dolling his opponent through the air, Rogan gave his final thoughts on a performance that was a sign of things to come.

“Nurmagomedov just mauling Abel Trujillo every time he got a hold of him. It was the grappling, the combat sambo skills of Khabib that really shined in this fight. Really a stellar performance from Khabib.”

• READ MORE: Islam Makhachev’s teammate makes shock retirement prediction ahead of his welterweight move

Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t in the top 10 for most takedowns landed

Despite his record-breaking performance against Abel Trujillo, Khabib Nurmagomedov is not found on the top 10 list for takedowns landed.

Nurmagomedov only fought 13 times inside the Octagon, and he was known for keeping opponents down once they hit the ground, which could explain why.

Topping the list is the UFC’s current bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, who will surely look to add to this number when defending his title at UFC 316 next month.

Dvalishvili is also on the list for the most takedowns secured in a single fight, having produced 13 in his fight with Gustavo Lopes, which sees him tied for fourth place.