Nurmagomedov taps Johnson, moves to 24-0

Khabib Nurmagomedov made his case for a title shot airtight on Saturday.

"The Eagle" capped a dominant performance with a third-round submission of Michael Johnson in their lightweight bout at UFC 205 in New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Nurmagomedov pummeled Johnson with vicious ground-and-pound through the better part of two-plus rounds before tapping him to remain undefeated in 24 pro fights.

Johnson took the fight to the Russian early and repeatedly tagged him with his painfully fast right hand, a storm Nurmagomedov weathered with a much-needed takedown. It was all Khabib from there, as the second-ranked contender unleashed a barrage of haymakers on the suddenly helpless Johnson's noggin, his left arm ripe for the nasty kimura.

"The Eagle," who'd previously threatened to leave the UFC if a win over Johnson didn't earn him a title shot, made the most of his post-fight time on the mic to reiterate the threat, much to the chagrin of those in attendance.

"The Menace," on the other hand, saw the momentum he'd accrued in his September knockout of Dustin Poirier abruptly halted by the lopsided defeat. He may have looked intent on notching an upset - however briefly - as his hands consistently hit pay dirt in the opening round, but soon found out the hard way that few mortals can withstand Nurmagomedov's sambo stylings.

A competent wrestler, Johnson resorted to his sprawl in Round 2 in an effort to stuff the Russian's takedown attempts. The tactic proved fruitless, as "The Eagle" tied up every one of his limbs before uncorking a steady stream of bombs from a variety of top positions.

The 30-year-old Johnson, ranked sixth heading into Saturday's contest, has now lost three of his last four fights.