In one of the biggest UFC fights in recent memory, Khabib Nurmagomedov cemented his lightweight title by submitting Justin Gaethje in the second round of their main event at UFC 254.
Though the submission that ended the fight was a triangle choke, it started out as an armbar, and now, Nurmagomedov’s teammate, former UFC champ Daniel Cormier, has shared the reason why the transition happened in the first place in an interview with ESPN.
According to what Nurmagomedov reportedly told Cormier, not only was the mount-to-armbar-to-triangle his father’s favorite submission, it was also a strategy to ensure that Gaethje didn’t get hurt. Apparently, Nurmagomedov had been concerned about Gaethje’s assertions in interviews that he wouldn’t tap. Obviously, a hyperextended or broken arm would be extremely painful, so instead, Nurmagomedov opted for the choke instead so that Gaethje wouldn’t get badly hurt in front of his own parents.
You can watch the clip from the interview below:
