Khabib Nurmagomedov proved once again his dominance by submitting top-ranked contender Justin Gaethje in round two to retain his UFC Lightweight title in Abu Dhabi.

After a fast-paced 1st round, Nurmagomedov scored a takedown and applied a triangle choke that made Gaethje tap at 1:34 of round two.

Nurmagomedov, 155 lbs of Dagostan, RUS is 29-0 with 12 submission wins. Gaethje, 155 lbs of Denver, CO is 22-3.

After the fight, Khabib announced his retirement

Whittaker Decisions Cannonier

Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker may have solidified another title shot with a unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier.

Whittaker sealed up the fight by landing a big shot that hurt and dropped Cannonier. Cannonier was adept with leg kicks, while Whittaker landed more strikes to the tune of 74-46 with one knockout.

Whittaker, 186 lbs of Sydney, AUS won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 23-5. Cannonier, 185 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 13-5.

Volkoff stops Harris in 2

Alexander Volkoff stopped Walt Harris in the 2nd round of their heavyweight fight.

Volkoff landed a kick to the stomach the hurt Harris. Volkoff followed up with some hard punches on the injured Harris and the bout was stopped at 1:15.

Volkoff, 265 lbs of Moscow, RUS is 32-8 with 21 knockouts. Harris, 254 lbs of Birmingham, AL is 13-9-1.

Hawes Destroys Malkoun in 18 Seconds

Phil Hawes destroyed Jacob Malkoun in 18 seconds of their middleweight bout.

Hawes landed a huge right that rocked and hurt Malkoun. Hawes landed three more punches as Malkoun fell to the canvas, and the fight was stopped as Hawes landed another shot on the ground.

Hawes, 186 lbs of North Bergen, NJ is 9-2 with seven knockouts. Malkoun, 186 lbs of Sydney, AUS is 4-1.

Murphy submits Shakirova in 2

Lauren Murphy chokes out Liliyan Shakirova in round two of their flyweight bout.

Murphy got a takedown in round two, and moments later got the back of Shakirova and applied a rear-naked choke that made Shakirova tap at 3:31.

Murphy, 126 lbs of Houston, TX 14-4 with her 1st submission. Shakirova, 126 lbs of Uzbekistan is 8-2.

Ankalaev stops Cutelaba in 1st in Rematch

Magomed Ankalaev knocked out Ion Cutelaba in the opening round of their light heavyweight bout.

Ankalaev knocked Cutelaba down with a huge left. Ankalaev landed nine flush Ground and Pound Strikes and the bout was called at 4:19.

Ankalaev, 205.5 lbs of Russia is 14-1 with nine knockouts, Cutelaba, 205.5 lbs of Moldova is 15-6-1.

Follow all the action LIVE as Khabib Nurmagomedov defends the UFC Lightweight Title against Justin Gaethje

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Round 1 Big right from Khabib..Counter from Gaethje..Jab from Khabib..Leg Kick from Gaethje..Right..Body kick from Khabib..Knee…Left….Body Kick..Body shot and left hook From Gaethje..Right over the top..Counter left,,Takedown by Khabib..Khabib has an armbar

Round 2 Leg Kick from Khabib..Left from Gaethje..Leg Kick..Takedown by Khabib…Triangle Choke…GAETHJE TAPS

Round 1 Leg kick by Whittaker..Leg Kick by Cannonier drops Whittaker..He gets up…Upper body kick by Whittaker..Nice Jab..2 kicks by Cannonier..Counter by Whittaker…Combination…High Kick..

Round 2 Double jab from Whittaker…Counter right from Cannonier..Swelling around right eye of Cannnier..Right..Straight for Whittaker..Double jab–right hand

Round 3 1-2 then a big kick rocks Cannonier…Cannonier is down…Taking shots on the ground…Body shot from Cannonier..Right hurts Whittaker..

Round 1 Body shot from Harris…Head punch..Straight from Volkoff..Jab..big Left…Right from Harris..Nice right..Right hurts Harris.

Round 2 Volkoff LANDS A KICK TO THE BODY..HE HIS HURT…VOLKOFF LANDS SOME SOLID SHOTS AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 HAWES LANDS A HUGE RIGHT THAT KNOCKS MALKOUN DOWN AND THE FIGHT IS OVER IN LESS THEN 20 SECONDS

Round 1 Shakirova lands a right..Spinning back fist..Good counter right from Murphy..Right from Shakirova…Elbows from Murphy..2 Kicks to the body from Shakirova

Round 2 Combination from Murphy..Takedown….Murphy gets the CHOKE AND SHAKIROVA TAPS

Round 1 Front Kick by Ankalaev..Right Hook..Over hand right by Cutelaba..Ankalaev lands a knee…STRAIGHT LEFT KNOCKS DOWN CUTELABA….HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES CUTELABA..9 HUGE GROUND AND POUND STRIKES AND FIGHT IS OVER

UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje streams exclusively on ESPN+ PPV this Saturday, October 24 at a special 2 p.m. ET start time from UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The top of the fight card features one of the most anticipated fights of the year ? two lightweight champions facing off in the main event to determine the undisputed king of one of UFC’s most competitive weight divisions.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC lightweight champion, enters the Octagon with a perfect, undefeated record (28-0-0) and is coming off two dominating defenses of his title – most recently in a third-round submission of Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September 2019. Justin Gaethje (22-2-0) has won four fights in a row, including three first-round finishes, capped by a fifth-round TKO of then-No. 1 contender Tony Ferguson in May – a victory that earned Gaethje the interim UFC lightweight title.

Nurmagomedov will be looking to take the fight to the ground where his unrelenting wrestling and ground-and-pound has been the end of many of the best fighters in the world. Gaethje will be looking to keep the fight on its feet and in the middle of the Octagon, where his knockout power and striking speed may give him the edge.

The co-main event pits former UFC middleweight champion and No. 1-ranked contender Robert Whittaker(22-5-0) against No. 3-ranked contender Jared Cannonier (13-4-0). The winner is likely to have a future date with UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who has already said he wants Cannonier if he can win this bout. Whittaker lost his belt to Adesanya a year ago, only to bounce back with a win over Darren Till in July and is looking to be in position for a chance to reclaim the title. Cannonier last fought over a year ago in September 2019, when he knocked out Jack Hermansson for his third straight early TKO.

Elsewhere on the main card, two top-10 heavyweights match up as No. 6-ranked Alexander Volkov (31-8-0) and No. 8-ranked Walt Harris (13-8-0) both try to move up the rankings in hopes of title contention. Plus, a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev(13-1-0)and Ion Cutelaba (15-5-0) will see the two fighters run it back after a controversial first-round stoppage in February, which Cutelaba appealed.  

Saturday’s coverage begins with the early prelims beginning on ESPN+ at 11 a.m. The prelims begin at Noon across ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (Spanish), and ESPN+ (English and Spanish).

On Friday, UFC Live will air on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m., providing fans with exclusive insights and views on the biggest stories heading into UFC 254.

UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje content on ESPN+:

• Unlocking Victory: UFC 254 — Dominick Cruz and Gilbert Melendez break down the keys to victory for the fighters competing at UFC 254
• UFC 254 Embedded – Go inside the lives of the fighters in the build-up to UFC 254 – Eps. 1  Eps 2
• UFC Fight Island Declassified: Four-part docuseries chronicles the story behind the scenes of the creation of “UFC Fight Island” on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
   

ESPN.com:

• “Father’s Plan” – Brett Okamoto examines how Khabib honors his dad’s memory
• “Something I’ve never felt before” — What’s it like to fight Khabib? Hear from some of those that have done it.
• UFC 254 Main Event Breakdown
• Brett Okamoto goes inside Justin Gaethje’s journey from a mining town to MMA stardom
• Marc Raimondi examines the story behind the hat that helped shape Khabib’s identity
• UFC 254: Why confusion over takedowns might affect Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje

ESPN’s UFC 254 Pick’Em – play for FREE and compete for a chance to win $5,000

Social: @ESPNMMA Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Fans can sign-up for ESPN+ at any time at ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or on the ESPN App and purchase UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje PPV.

UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje Programming (All times ET)

Main Card, Prelims and Early Prelims (All times ET)

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as Vegas – UFC^® wraps up its second run on UFC FIGHT ISLAND with one of the most anticipated bouts of the year as UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Justin Gaethje battle to unify the belts. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion and No. 1 ranked Robert Whittaker takes on No. 3 Jared Cannonier in a pivotal bout with title implications. 

UFC^® 254: KHABIB vs. GAETHJE will take place Saturday, October 24 on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island and will stream live on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at a special broadcast time of 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT in both English and Spanish. The prelims will be simulcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+ (English and Spanish) beginning at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT with the early prelims kicking off at 10:15 a.m. ET /7:15 p.m. PT simulcast on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. The event is in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

ESPN+ is available on ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com and the ESPN App for mobile connected TV devices.?To subscribe, visit?espnplus.com/ufc.

Undefeated champion Nurmagomedov (28-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) looks to put on another dominant performance and once again prove he is the best lightweight on the planet. Nurmagomedov is currently tied for the longest active win streak in the UFC with an impressive 12 victories in a row, which includes finishes over former champion Conor McGregor and former interim champion Dustin Poirier. He now seeks to extend his streak to 13 with a statement performance over Gaethje and make his case as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Gaethje (22-2, fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) has become a fan favorite for the relentless and entertaining fight style that has earned him nine UFC post-fight bonuses in just seven fights. A proven finisher with a remarkable 20 of his 22 wins coming by stoppage, Gaethje rose through the lightweight ranks with knockouts over Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson. He now looks to realize his ultimate goal of attaining the undisputed UFC lightweight championship by becoming the first person to defeat Nurmagomedov.

Former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker (22-5, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) intends to continue his journey back to the title with his second marquee win of the year. The first Australian UFC champion, Whittaker initially made waves by winning The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes in 2012. After moving up to the middleweight division, he went on an eight-fight win streak to capture the title, which included spectacular performances against Yoel Romero, Jacare Souza and Derek Brunson. He now aims to keep his momentum going against Cannonier and cement himself as the No. 1 contender for the belt.

Former heavyweight Cannonier (13-4, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska) seeks to claim the most important win of his career and secure his first UFC title shot. After moving down to the middleweight division, Cannonier quickly established himself as a top contender with stoppage victories over David Branch, Jack Hermansson and former champion Anderson Silva. He now has his sights set on landing another signature knockout against Whittaker and seizing his spot at the top of the rankings.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Top 10 heavyweights face off asNo. 6 ranked Alexander Volkov (31-8, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) battles No. 8 Walt Harris (13-8 1 NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.)
• No. 2 ranked women’s flyweight Cynthia Calvillo (9-1-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) and No. 4 ranked Lauren Murphy (13-4, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) look to make a statement and earn their first UFC title shot
• No. 11 ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev (13-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) and Ion Cutelaba (15-5, fighting out of Chisinau, Maldova) finally meet in a highly anticipated bout guaranteed to deliver action
• Stefan Struve (33-12, fighting out of Beverwijk, The Netherlands) locks horns with Tai Tuivasa (10-3, fighting out of Western Sydney, Australia) in a heavyweight bout
• In a clash of UFC newcomers, Jacob Malkoun (4-0, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) meets Dana White’s Contender Series signee Phillip Hawes (8-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) at middleweight
• In an exciting welterweight bout, Alex Oliveira (22-8-1 2 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to spoil the UFC debut of Shavkat Rakhmonov (12-0, fighting out of Kokshetau, Kazakhstan)
• Da-un Jung (13-2, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) seeks to stay undefeated in the UFC when he takes on veteran Sam Alvey (33-14, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) at light heavyweight
• UFC newcomers Umar Nurmagomedov (12-0, fighting out of Chelyabinsk, Russia) and Sergey Morozov (16-3, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) aim to put on a show-stealing performance
• Liana Jojua (8-3, fighting out of Tbilisi, Georgia) battles Invicta FC veteran Miranda Maverick (7-2, fighting out of Norfolk, Va.)
• Top bantamweight prospects battle in a 140-pound catchweight bout as Nathaniel Wood (17-4, fighting out of London, England) meets Casey Kenney (15-2-1, fighting out of Tucsan, Ariz.)
• In a lightweight bout, Joel Alvarez (17-2, fighting out of Asturias, Spain) looks to extend his win streak when he takes on Alexander Yakovlev (24-9-1, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. by way of Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 102 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 65 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – nine U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.