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In his last fight, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov fought the interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier, in a title unification bout. Khabib was able to unify the belts by submitting Poirier in the third round at UFC 242, extending his record to 28-0.

Post-fight, Khabib jumped out of the cage to hug the President of the UFC, Dana White. In his post-fight interview, Khabib even promised to donate to Poirier’s charity. He wore Poirier’s t-shirt and said that he will auction it, which he did.

Although Abu Dhabi was considered hostile territory for Poirier, he mentioned on multiple occasions that it did not feel like hostile territory. It was a heart-breaking loss for Dustin Poirier. He was not able to fulfill his dreams of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion. It was more than just a fight for him.

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The emotions were high that night. One such emotional moment can be witnessed after the fight was over.

Dustin Poirier after loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov

A young boy walked up to Poirier and asked him, “Where’s the pain? Here? (pointing out to Poirier’s eye).” An emotional Poirier responds by pointing out to his heart.

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A mixed martial arts event does not start and end inside the octagon. A lot goes on behind the scenes. Fighters go through grueling training camps and weight cuts just to make it fight night. Should they win, they have to deal with the media and if they lose, they have to deal with themselves. It does not matter what the outcome of the fight is, they have to recover from it and get back to work.

Many of them wish to be the champion but only a few succeed. We don’t get to witness moments like these often. We get to know a fighter for his/her work in the octagon but the majority of his/her life is still a mystery.

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As fans, let’s not make this hard for them. In the end, even they have a family to look after. What will they tell their family about the workday?

Read: Conor McGregor Outstruck Khabib Nurmagomedov: WWE Champion Becky Lynch Gives Verdict on Rematch