‘One of the Best in All MMA’- Khabib Nurmagomedov Lauds Dagestani Fighter Askar Askarov After UFC 259

UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, took to Twitter and sent out a massive shout-out to flyweight fighter, Askar Askarov. ‘Bullet’ Askarov won out in a big way over Joseph Benavidez on the preliminary card of UFC 259 in Vegas. He garnered praise after his win and a shout-out from ‘The Eagle’ himself is a massive feather in his cap.

Chiefly, Khabib congratulated Askar Askarov for overcoming the odds and becoming a viable threat. ‘Bullet’ has lost all but 20% hearing capacity and Khabib recognized his impairment while praising him. Not to mention, there also exists a connection between the two as both men hail from Dagestan.

Askarov put forth a wrestling-heavy game plan and managed to ground Benavidez at several points during the match-up. Joseph Benavidez couldn’t keep up despite his best effort and was largely drowned out by an excessive volume. Twitter came out in full force to comment on the aforementioned flyweight fight and praise piled in for Askar.

UFC 259: Joseph Benavidez vs Askar Askarov

Joseph Benavidez will have to head back to the drawing board after being largely outclassed in all departments. While he won certain exchanges, there was minimal doubt that Askarov would walk away with the eventual win. Chiefly, the conversation that kicked off online entailed a possible retirement for Benavidez.

He has now lost three fights in a row and will unlikely reach championship level heights once more in his career. Not to mention, the landscape of the division is clearly changing, with fighters such as Askarov clearly ascending to the top. Joseph Benavidez will have to do some self-reflection with regard to his future in the organization.

Askarov will now enter the short-list at flyweight and will have his eyes set on the upcoming title fight. Deiveson Figueiredo will rematch Brandon Moreno in the summer, and the winner could have a date lined with Askar. Figueiredo has set an incredibly high standard thus far, and Askar Askarov will aim to supersede the champion.