Exactly eight years ago on April 7, 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to become the first Russian UFC champion in the promotion's history. The post marks the anniversary of this milestone achievement for Russian mixed martial arts. Fans are expressing both the significance of the date for Russian MMA and noting how quickly time has passed. The victory over Iaquinta secured Nurmagomedov's place in UFC history as a trailblazer for Russian fighters.
