UFC 219 results: Khabib Nurmagomedov relentless, brutalizes Edson Barboza

Khabib Nurmagomedov charged out of his corner to start his bout with Edson Barboza and never stopped coming forward until the final horn sounded.

The result was a one-sided beating that Barboza (19-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) did well to endure, with Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) ultimately winning a dominant unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-25, 30-25, and 30-24.

The lightweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC 219 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Nurmagomedov’s relentless attack took its toll early in this fight, as he stalked Barboza around the cage in the opening minutes before finally taking him down and mauling him on the mat.

It was an assault that Barboza seemed only capable of delaying and enduring. After suffering under the weight of Nurmagomedov’s ground-and-pound in the first, he was noticeably depleted as he started the second. Caught in a constant backpedal, he couldn’t seem to find the space he needed to get his own offense started, and soon he was back on the mat, being overwhelmed by the power and volume of Nurmagomedov’s onslaught.

In the third, Barboza managed to rally just enough to land a few isolated strikes, but still Nurmagomedov kept coming, grinding him under the wheels of a machine that never stopped trudging forward, fighting at a pace that Barboza could never quite catch up to.

When it was over, the judges’ scores reflected Nurmagomedov’s dominance – and Barboza’s ability to hang on by a thread until the very end.

“That was my most dominant performance to date,” Nurmagomedov said. “I have to thank my father and my team. I’ve worked very hard for this. I feel that I am the most dominant fighter in the UFC today. I am 25-0, and that is the real belt. (Lightweight champion) Conor (McGregor) and (interim champ) Tony (Ferguson) are nothing. It does not matter to me which one I get next. If the UFC will allow me, I will fight them both in the same night. I want the title fight in April.”

With the win, Nurmagomedov remains perfect after 25 professional fights. Barboza’s loss snaps a three-fight winning streak.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 219 results include:

• Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
• Dan Hooker def. Marc Diakiese via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 0:42
• Carla Esparza def. Cynthia Calvillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Neil Magny def. Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Khalil Rountree via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Myles Jury def. Rick Glenn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Omari Akhmedov vs. Marvin Vettori declared majority draw (28-28, 29-28 Vettori, 28-28)
• Matheus Nicolau def. Louis Smolka via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
• Tim Elliott def. Mark Delarosa via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 1:41

For complete coverage of UFC 219, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Ken Hathaway contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)