Sherdog’s Top 10: Ground-and-Pounders

9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
“The Eagle” has established himself as one of MMA’s premier lightweights and become a must-see attraction by turning opponents into minced meat whenever he wants. The Dagestani mauler has yet to lose as a pro, and it seems only injuries can slow him down. Nurmagomedov returned from a two-year absence at UFC on Fox 19 and blew away Darrell Horcher. It was as if he never left.

Nurmagomedov, who wrestled bears as a kid, has developed into a beast inside the cage. When he takes down opponents, he makes them pay. His top control and weight distribution make him virtually impossible to resist, and it seems like he enjoys inflicting pain upon on whoever is trapped beneath him. Rafael dos Anjos, the current UFC champion at 155 pounds, ran into Nurmagomedov in 2014 and had no answer for him across three rounds. Dos Anjos captured the lightweight title less than a year later. Nurmogomedov has also grinded out Thiago Tavares, Pat Healy and Gleison Tibau, and he only seems to be improving.

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