UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov knows a thing or two about last-minute opponent changes.
Nurmagomedov, one of the best former lightweight champions in the sport, has become an incredible trainer. At UFC 311, he will be alongside Islam Makhachev, who will no longer defend his title against Arman Tsarukyan but against Renato Moicano.
News of the change came Friday morning after the event’s official weigh-ins. Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw due to a back injury. In his place, Moicano, who was scheduled to face Beneil Dariush at the event, took the big opportunity to fight for the lightweight title.
“Honestly, I knew it yesterday (at) 1 a.m., (at night) before I went to sleep,” Nurmagomedov said in a video posted on the UFC social media account. “Honestly, this can happen to anyone.
“If you remember March 2017, this happened to me too. Then I go to the hospital, do surgery, come back and tell the UFC if it was my mistake, give me another better guy. I’m going to beat this guy and earn my title shot. It was the same with me, you know, I just want to wish him all the best.
It was at UFC 209 that Nurmagomedov was scheduled to face Tony Ferguson for the third time. However, Nurmagomedov was hospitalized due to complications from his weight loss and never hit the scales for the official weigh-ins.
Nurmagomedov indeed proved himself by defeating Edson Barboza a few months later, then fought for the title in April 2018. In another short-term replacement, Nurmagomedov was scheduled to face Max Holloway, but due to a another weight loss problem, he found himself facing and defeating Al Iaquinta to become champion.
Nurmagomedov expects Tsarukyan to similarly bounce back from this setback, and also believes Moicano will do his best to make the most of his opportunity.
“You know, he’s young, he’s tough,” Nurmagomedov said. “He can come back. He must survive this situation and come back.
“Our new main eventer, I think Moicano has a lot of experience in the UFC. How many, like 10, 11 years in the UFC? He has four consecutive victories and he is at the top of his form. You know, it’s like a good fight. Sure, it’s not like Arman and Islam, but it’s still a very competitive fight and we’re not going to underestimate this guy.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.