Chael Sonnen Questions Nurmagomedov's 'Bulletproof' Aura After Long Layoff
Khabib Nurmagomedov is the heavy favorite heading into his UFC lightweight title defense on Saturday at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi when he takes on interim champion Dustin Poirier. However, former UFC and Bellator fighter Chael Sonnen warns that the champion’s long time away from the Octagon could play a significant role in who comes out on top.
Advertisement
According to Sonnen in recent episode of Beyond the Fight, the suspension and time away from the Octagon could be one of the key factors in how “The Eagle” performs on Saturday (transcription courtesy BloodyElbow.com):
“He’s been out for a while,” Sonnen said of Nurmagomedov. “For Khabib, it was because of a suspension. For other guys, it was because of an injury or a contract dispute. But that always becomes a talking point; ‘well how’s he gonna look, he’s been out, the other guy’s been busy, ring rust is a real thing’. For some reason, Khabib has penetrated the hearts and minds of the fans to the point that that dialogue is not even coming up. It’s as if this guy is bulletproof and we have fallen for that before.”
“I could give you the Mike Tysons of the world, the night George St-Pierre fell down, Anderson Silva comes to mind. Nobody is bulletproof.”
“I don’t know why Khabib is bulletproof to that because a lot of those similarities are there,” Sonnen continued. “He’s all of a sudden ‘Mr. Famous’. He’s so famous that he’s got political pole in that region (Dagestan.) He’s training at the AKA with Javier Mendez but he lives in Dagestan, 21 hours away. I do think it’s a fair question, how much consistent training is he getting in conjunction with the push and pull of travel schedules, with the media, with all the new ‘friends’ he’s got, all the way up to politicians? I am surprised no one’s talking about it!”
Nurmagomedov and Poirier headline UFC 242 which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Related Articles
