2017 has been a difficult year for Russia’s most popular MMA talents.
Both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Fedor Emelianenko had their anticipated fights cancelled less than 24 hours before the actual event. Khabib suffered a weight cutting fiasco that hospitalized him ahead of the UFC 209 weigh-ins, while the ‘Last Emperor’ was unable to perform because his opponent came down with kidney stones ahead of the show. Interestingly, however, Khabib’s difficult experience last month helped him grasp the fragility of a fighter’s position.
“When I learned that Matt Mitrione withdrew from the fight due to kidney stones, I could not believe that this is possible!