UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov’s top understudy landed one of the nastiest knockouts in PFL history.
Former PFL champion Movlid Khaybulaev has become one of the top featherweights in the world outside of the UFC. When he made his league debut in 2019 against eventual UFC featherweight signee Damon Jackson, Khaybulaev was out to prove a point in his first appearance in the PFL SmartCage.
Khaybulaev entered PFL 2 in 2019 as an undefeated featherweight through 13 professional fights. A top protege of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, Khaybulaev entered his first PFL fight with a lot of hype.
Khaybulaev delivered in a big way with Nurmagomedov in his corner.
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Movlid Khaybulaev’s PFL debut finished in 10 seconds with a devastating knee knockout
Khaybulaev and Jackson squared off in a pivotal featherweight matchup. Both fighters entered the clash with a lot of hype as both worked to garner respect in MMA’s featherweight division.
Jackson attempted to pressure Khaybulaev in the opening seconds, landing a big leg kick off of a wide base against the Dagestani. As Khaybulaev noticed Jackson’s chin tilting downwards as he advanced, Khaybulaev timed Jackson’s movement perfectly with a nasty flying knee to the chin that knocked Jackson out cold.
Watch Khaybulaev secure the nasty 10-second finish below.
Khaybulaev, an elite grappling ace, surprised PFL fans with his powerful striking against Jackson. His showing in his PFL debut proved that his featherweight colleagues would have to provide a well-rounded strategy to shut down Khaybulaev’s rise.
But Khaybulaev hasn’t slowed down since the Jackson knockout. He won the 2021 PFL featherweight tournament by defeating Chris Wade in the championship, and remains unbeaten in his MMA career.
Khaybulaev will return to the PFL SmartCage this Thursday against Tae-Kyun Kim in the PFL World Tournament semifinal.
Team Khabib continues to dominate modern MMA
Fighters under Nurmagomedov’s tutelage have found massive success in the cage. Islam Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov, and Umar Nurmagomedov are just a few top names who have taken over MMA in recent years.
Makhachev will fight to earn an accomplishment Nurmagomedov didn’t during his UFC Hall of Fame career when he challenges for a second world title at welterweight. Makhachev is expected to clash with UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena after he officially vacates the lightweight belt later this month.
After retiring from the UFC in 2020, Khabib has become one of the best coaches in MMA. He opted to walk away after defending the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
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