Khabib Nurmagomedov was largely dominant throughout his career, but he did survive one scare.

'The Eagle' achieved a largely unrivaled level of dominance inside the cage, winning all 29 of his professional outings.

Before Nurmagomedov retired in 2020, the Dagestani defeated the likes of Edson Barboza and Al Iaquinta en route to the UFC lightweight title before defending it against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.

But while very few provided any sort of threat to the elite wrestling specialist, one of Nurmagomedov's final opponents gave him a scare.

11 months on from Nurmagomedov's UFC 229 win over McGregor - and a year before his final fight - the undefeated Russian faced the then-interim champion, Poirier.

The pair headlined UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, where a crowd full of Nurmagomedov loyalists witnessed 'The Eagle' submit 'The Diamond' via rear-naked choke in round three.

But the triumph wasn't without adversity for the champion.

In round two, Poirier threatened to pull off an almighty upset when he attacked Nurmagomedov's neck with a guillotine choke.

While he ultimately escaped, the Dagestani admitted during his post-fight press conference that the submission was a little too close for comfort.

"The only thing that was very close was the guillotine," Nurmagomedov said. "First time, it was a very good guillotine.

"First time it was close, second time I give him because I felt like he lost so much energy, so much power. This is part of the game; how I play with my opponents."

Had Poirier found an extra squeeze to force a tap at UFC 242, Nurmagomedov would have lost his undefeated record in front of millions of his compatriots.

A report from Russia Today soon after the event revealed that the Dagestani UFC star's second lightweight title defense racked up an incredible 26 million views across broadcasting platforms in Russia.

Further data indicated that 24 percent of adult viewers in Russia tuned in to Nurmagomedov's clash with Poirier in Abu Dhabi.

Since retiring from active MMA competition in 2020, Nurmagomedov has frequently appeared in the corners of his teammates and fellow countrymen.

And the 36-year-old's continued involvement in the sport looks set after Nurmagomedov revealed plans for a new training center in his native Dagestan.