“Luis, you’ve got three rounds with Khabib.”
The words from AKA head coach Javier Mendez to UFC lightweight Luis Pena would have been terrifying to most people. Pena knew it was coming, though, even before Khabib Nurmagomedov won the 155-pound world title.
So after a thought of, “Oh my God, I’m about to spar the champ,” Pena put the gloves on and the mouthpiece in.
“This is everything I’ve wanted,” Pena recalled. “I’ve been wanting to at least just mix it up with Khabib for years now, since before he was ever even on anyone’s radar.