It wasn't much of a fight, but at long last Khabib Nurmagomedov is back.
The undefeated lightweight sensation from Dagestan fought late substitute Darrell Horcher at a 160-pound catchweight Saturday at UFC on FOX 19, and the bout quickly turned into a mauling.
Horcher (12-2) ate uncontested shots for an uncomfortably long time before referee James Warring waved off the bout at 3:38 of the second round, raising Nurmagomedov, in his first bout in two years, to 23-0.
"All these two years, I feel I sit down in the chair," Nurmagomedov said. "Now I'm free, and you see how dangerous the eagle is when he's hungry."
There was a surprisingly long feeling-out period in the first round before Nurmagomedov scored a late slam. He cut open Horcher with nasty elbows and punches from the top until Horcher was saved by the horn.
It was simply a matter of time in the second, as Nurmagomedov rained down punches from the top. Horcher turtled up while Nurmagomedov teed off until the fight was called.
Nurmagomedov was competing for the first time since April, 2014, when he scored a one-sided win over current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Injuries kept him sidelined until now.
"A lot of tough guys talk too much wen I'm injured," Nurmagomedov said. "But when I'm healthy, they don't say anything."
He was originally scheduled to meet Tony Ferguson Saturday, but Ferguson had to pull out of the fight due to an issue with his lungs.