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He knows to keep that position, he may have to walk through fire this weekend, but he’s willing – as always – to do whatever it takes to get his hand raised.
“I think he’s gonna hit me hard, very hard,” Nurmagomedov said of his foe. “I think he’s gonna kick me hard, hit me hard, punch me hard and he’s gonna try to show me my blood. He’s a very tough guy but I’m ready for everything. I think he’s a very good fighter. He’s very tough, he never gives up. Two things I think I’m much better than him is conditioning and Fighting IQ. I think I’m much better than him, not just a little bit.”
For Nurmagomedov, it’s not just the physical part of the game, but more the mental aspect that keeps him on top.
“MMA is everything about mental (game),” he said. “If you want to be the best, you have to be very strong mentally. In the UFC, a lot of fighters I think are more strong than me physically. But if we take everything together, I’m the best. MMA is not one sport. It’s everything together, and the number one thing in all MMA is mental.”
So in his mind, there is only one outcome in Abu Dhabi, and it’s the same one he’s had the 28 other times he’s strapped on the gloves and put the mouthpiece in on fight night.
“This victory for me means everything,” Nurmagomedov said. “I can’t lose this fight. I have to finish Justin Gaethje and become the number one pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today.”
UFC 254 SPECIAL START TIMES:
Main Card: 2pm ET / 11am PT on ESPN+
Prelims: 12pm ET / 9am PT on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes
Early Prelims: 11am ET / 8 am PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass
Visit Abu Dhabi: http://www.abudhabievents.ae/