Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 242 Win Draws Big Numbers In Russia

Khabib Nurmagomedov

UFC 242 headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov was trending to be a big success, and according to reports, it drew huge numbers in Russia.

Nurmagomedov successfully defended his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the event’s headliner this past weekend in Abu Dhabi. It was his first fight since his career-defining win over Conor McGregor last year which made him a true global star.

That stardom was put to the test at UFC 242 and while official numbers are not out yet at least for the United States, the event did extremely well in Russia.

The event was broadcast free-to-view on Russia’s Channel 1 (Perviy Canal) and had as many as 26 million viewers across the channel’s various platforms according to reports (via RT). The headliner also had an audience of 24 percent among adult viewers across Russia according to the data.

READ MORE:  Does The UFC 300 Lineup Live Up To The Hype?

If the North American numbers are as good as they were in Russia, one wonders how many eyeballs will be on Nurmagomedov’s next fight, especially if it’s against Tony Ferguson who is on a 12-fight win streak. That seems to be the next outing for “The Eagle” too so hopefully combat sports fans finally see one of the most anticipated matchups in recent memory.

Do you think Nurmagomedov is a solid star yet? Or are you not convinced yet?