Khabib Nurmagomedov kneeled down and put his head in his hands. Tears streamed from his eyes. The burden he had been carrying for the last three months had been released. The typically stoic champion's emotions got the better of him.
Nurmagomedov, one of the best fighters in mixed-martial-arts history, submitted Justin Gaethje -- who many said would be Nurmagomedov's toughest test -- via triangle choke at 1:34 of the second round Saturday in the main event of UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi.
Nurmagomedov took Gaethje down, applied the triangle choke, cinched it in and Gaethje went completely unconscious.