Making the Grade: UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier

Esther Lin, MMA FightingIf there was any doubt about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s claim as the best lightweight in the sport, those questions were emphatically answered during UFC 242 on Saturday.

The undefeated Russian dominated interim champion Dustin Poirier for the majority of two-plus rounds before finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke submission in the third.

Nurmagomedov is now 28-0 in his career and he’s lost all of one round in his entire 12-fight UFC career — and the round he lost in the fight with Conor McGregor is highly debatable.

In the co-main event, Paul Felder eked out a hard-fought split decision over Edson Barboza in a rematch from their first fight in 2015. Felder had to…