16 January 2023 , 18:05
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Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Umar apologised after hitting his opponent while on the canvas out cold in his latest win.
Nurmagomedov, who has become one of the brightest talents on the UFC roster, was looking to extend his professional record to sixteen wins when he challenged Barcelos at the UFC's first event of the year in Las Vegas. The Russian star went into the contest as favourite against the veteran, and showed why fans are excited by his growing profile with a brutal KO.
He set up the defining moment with a kick to the body before unleashing a devastating left hook which sent his rival crumbling to the canvas. His instinct took him straight down to the canvas anticipating that he would need a series of ground-and-pound strikes to close the show.
However he did not realise his rival was motionless on the canvas and was never going to fight back, so after landing the first punch immediately realised he had made a mistake and held his opponent's head. He pleaded for medical attention after the fight was waved off, and was heard audibly apologising to his rival who was unable to reply.
It was a moment of sportsmanship from Nurmagomedov who felt obliged to apologise with the referee having already waved off the contest during the split-second moment he went to the ground. Fans were pleased by the Russian's display of character, with one writing: “Just won me over as a fan with that, shows his good nature the first thing he wants to do is apologise for one unnecessary shot.”
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Another added: Between that and when he put his finger up to tell his opponent not to headbutt when he shot is a surprising amount of reverence for the fight game. Umar takes the fight game so serious, it’s nice to see.” One concluded: "That is a what a fighter with a conscious looks like. Not saying it will help or hurt him in his career but nice to see fighters caring."
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Nurmagomedov nonetheless was delighted with the victory and has pleaded with fighters to give him the opportunity to continue his climb by accepting a clash with him. "These guys know our team, Khabib [Nurmagomedov], Islam [Makhachev], Usman [Nurmagomedov], are different guys. We’re improving, we’re good, and they look at us like, dangerous,” he said. “This one, I saw it.
"Because nobody wants to take a fight with me in the top fifteen. Even this guy Ricky Simon. He says ‘ hey, who are you,’ [stuff] like this. I’m here Ricky Simon. Where are you? I will be champion, you will stay number 8. Anybody. Anybody, I don’t care. But not this guy. I don’t want to give him a chance.”