In the second installment of the UFC’s behind-the-scenes UFC 242 video blog series, we catch up with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Edson Barboza and Paul Felder ahead of their huge lightweight matchups in Abu Dhabi.
Barboza and Felder crossed paths just after the Brazilian had enjoyed a training workout, as the pair embraced and chatted happily and respectfully ahead of their co-main event rematch on September 7.
It showed a different vibe to the one that surrounded Khabib ahead of his most recent fight against Conor McGregor, and highlighted how fighters can prepare to face each other without resorting to divisive rhetoric and personal abuse during the build-up.
There has been a similar level of respect between Khabib and Poirier during the lead-up to their main event title fight, too, though both men clearly have their game faces on as they enter the final phase of their big-fight preparation in Abu Dhabi.
In this episode, Khabib’s team was bolstered by the arrival of his coach, American Kickboxing Academy chief Javier Mendez, while Poirier and his American Top Team crew analyzed footage of the Russian world champion’s movements as they fine-tune their gameplan for the big fight.
