Khabib Nurmagomedov celebrates following his UFC 223 victory. Photo from BBC.co.uk
Khabib expected to extend unbeaten record at UFC 254
Anticipation is building amongst fans, ahead of the return of lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He heads into the fight as the general 4/11 betting favourite, which shows he is expected to win. Justin Gaethje is then available at 2/1 and is likely to pose the biggest threat to Khabib, that he has faced in his career to date. Both fighters bring in remarkable records to date and it sets up for a fascinating matchup between the pair. This will continue the ‘booming’ online entertainment business, with sports betting proving popular on events, on top of casinos. These have been seeing record numbers, with many players picking up the Slingo bonus code, which is a key factor behind the popularity to these platforms. That is set to continue, on top of the sports betting for UFC 254.
UFC 254 is another event set to take place on Fight Island. This is located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Also, on the card will be another lightweight bout between Islam Makhackev and Rafael dos Anjos. Plus, a bantamweight bout between Umar Nurmagomedov and Sergey Morozov. It is one of the most anticipated cards for fans, with two of the leading fighters in the sport taking each other on.
🏆 KHABIB. 🏆 GAETHJE.
For legacy and for gold. pic.twitter.com/VLIHFgHeqQ
— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2020
At 31 years of age, Khabib for many is the leading fighter in the sport and currently stands second in the pound for pound rankings, behind only Jon Jones. He has built up a remarkable unbeaten record throughout his professional career, that now stands at 28 wins, without defeat. Khabib made his first appearance in the UFC back in 2012 and has since won 12 fights in succession. This includes beating the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor and most recently Dustin Poirier. It appears he is continuing to improve, so it is little surprise he now heads in as the overwhelming betting favourite to pick up another victory at UFC 254 and further extend his remarkable unbeaten run.
Khabib is not likely to have it all his own way, as he takes on the 31-year-old American, Justin Gaethje. He also brings in an impressive record of 22 wins and just two losses. These coming against Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, in the early period of his UFC career. Since then, he has won four fights in succession, that includes victories against Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson. The latter was a very impressive victory and has taken Gaethje to the next level and ultimately earned him the title shot.
It now sets up for a fascinating fight between two of the leading fighters in the sport, so UFC 254 simply cannot come soon enough.
