Khabib Nurmagomedov warns new UFC champ dos Anjos, rubs salt in Pettis' wounds

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Few officially predicted Rafael dos Anjos to upset Anthony Pettis in Saturday’s UFC 185 main event, but Khabib Nurmagomedov was among the small group who did.

When Nurmagomedov stated prior to UFC 185 that dos Anjos (24-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) would “smash” Pettis (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), many viewed it as just another in a long line of insults the Dagestani fighter has thrown Pettis’ way.

However, Nurmagomedov’s prediction turned out to be precisely on point. Dos Anjos completely mauled Pettis for five rounds to win the UFC lightweight title in a stunning upset. After the fight, Nurmagomedov basked in the glory of his accurate prognostication (via Twitter).

Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is a top contender in the division and could be first to challenge dos Anjos for his newly earned belt. He must first get past Donald Cerrone (27-6 MMA, 14-3 UFC) at UFC 187 on May 24, though, which will be no easy feat.

If he does defeat “Cowboy” to earn a title shot, a matchup with dos Anjos would mark a rematch of an April 2014 bout at UFC on FOX 11. Nurmagomedov won that fight in one-sided fashion when he outworked his opponent with superior wrestling.

Although dos Anjos managed to rebound from that loss with a four-fight winning streak, the loss to Nurmagomedov was still less than one year ago. While Nurmagomedov praised dos Anjos for his win over Pettis, he hasn’t forgot the way in which he beat the current UFC champ (via Twitter).

Nurmagomedov and dos Anjos’ interactions have remained respectful, but the same can’t be said for Pettis. Despite the fact “Showtime” just experienced one of the lowest points of his career, Nurmagomedov had no problem kicking the former titleholder while he was down (via Twitter).

Nurmagomedov meets Cerrone at UFC 187 on May 23 as part of the organization’s annual Memorial Day weekend event. The lightweight bout airs on the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

For complete coverage of UFC 185, check out the UFC Events section of the site. And for more on UFC 187, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.