October 24, 2020 4:32:59 pm
Khabib Nurmagomedov is the first Muslim UFC champion and the most followed Russian on Instagram. (AP)
After more than a year, Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0) returns to the Octagon against Justin Gaethje (22-2) at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. At stake are the UFC lightweight championship and the Russian’s undefeated record, but there is more to the fight than meets the eye.
Nurmagomedov is an antithesis of modern fight-heavy MMA, a supreme fighter with constant pressure who launched himself into the mainstream by dominating superstar Conor McGregor. On Saturday, he will face the stylistically opposite Gaethje, a hyper-violent puncher who is considered the Russian’s toughest test yet.
Who is Khabib Nurmagomedov?
The first Muslim UFC champion and the most followed Russian on Instagram, Nurmagomedov is arguably the biggest global star in MMA today. The traditional sheepskin headdress, former bear wrestling Sambo world champion with Papakha, has been a great ambassador for the Russian republic of Dagestan.
The mountainous region, located where the Greater Caucasus mountain range and the Caspian Sea meet, has been a constant provider of wrestling champions, including Olympic champion and three-time world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev. It has become a coveted destination for athletes, including India’s Olympic medal contender Bajrang Punia. But it is Nurmagomedov who put Dagestan on the map with his incomparable dominance.
FILE – In this Sept. 7, 2019, file photo, Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, fights Dustin Poirier of Lafayette, Louisiana, during a mixed martial arts lightweight title fight at UFC 242 in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. (AP)
Nurmagomedov’s game plan is simple: knock down opponents early in the round and hit them on the ground for five minutes. Execution is where Russian excels. Nurmagomedov uses his training in combat judo and sambo, a fighting style designed for the USSR army, and combines them with ingenious trips to take down the opponent. On the ground, he flows from one position to another, transitioning and moving forward until he can mount his enemy. From there, it’s all about heavy blows or introductions in the manner of strangles or twists. 📣 Follow Express explained on Telegram
His top-notch cardio means the pressure is relentless, and Nurmagomedov’s punch is deceptively effective. It’s no wonder then that Nurmagomedov holds the record for most knockdowns in a fight (21) and has only lost one round in his professional MMA career (round three against Conor McGregor).
So is Khabib the GOAT?
Due to the nature of the sport and its many weight classes, it is difficult to define the Best of All Time pound for pound. Nurmagomedov’s impeccable record certainly puts him in the conversation. No one has run a 28-0 streak before.
However, there are asterisks. His first 16 victories came on the humble Eastern European circuit. The 12-0 streak in the UFC remains impressive, but Nurmagomedov has only beaten four of the top five fighters in the ranking: Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, McGregor and Poirier.
He failed to gain weight for one fight in 2013 and more struggles with weight loss forced him to withdraw from another.
Saturday’s fight against Gaethje is also his third title defense in 30 months. The number of successful title defenses by other GOAT contenders are Jon Jones (11), Demetrious Johnson (11), Anderson Silva (10), Georges St-Pierre (9) and Jose Aldo (7).
Earlier this week, Gaethje spoke about his opponent’s dispute over GOAT status.
“He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time for the way he hits people,” Gathje told SportsCenter. “When you say this guy fought 28 times and only lost one round, that’s special. That is something we will talk about forever. You won’t have a normal legacy per se, you are creating a different one. A different path for other people. “
Who is Justin Gaethje?
Gaethje is a fighter whose videos you show non-MMA fans to convert.
In three years, more than seven fights, Gaethje has become a perennial UFC fan favorite with his hyper-violent foot style. None of his seven fights in the promotion have gone the distance. In fact, his last decision win was in 2014. And unlike Nurmagomedov, most of Gaethje’s seven fights in the UFC have been against title contenders; each earned him “fight of the night” or “performance of the night” bonuses.
In this May 10, 2020, file photo, Tony Ferguson, left, falls backward after being punched by Justin Gaethje during a UFC 249 mixed martial arts fight in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP)
The entertaining match-and-trade style turned frustrating after back-to-back knockout losses to former champions Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier. His brazen aggression and willingness to inflict and receive serious damage earned him fans, but also taunts from opponents who said Gaethje was “punch drunk”, “chinny” and speculation that the 31-year-old had started to smear his words due to an onset of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
That’s when coach Trevor Whitman forced a mindset change. Gaethje is still a pressure fighter, but now he chooses his shots. Improved fundamentals, feints and footwork have led him to a four-game win streak. While Gaethje’s significant punches absorbed per minute are still ridiculously high at 8.37, there’s a lot more focus on kickback and head movement.
SOUND ON ??
?? @Justin_GaethjeThe shots in an empty arena are unreal!
[ #UFC254 – Oct 24 – Main Card at 2pmET ] pic.twitter.com/qAZ4rbClnf– UFC (@ufc) October 20, 2020
In May, Gaethje ended fan favorite Tony Ferguson’s 12-game winning streak to claim the interim title and a match against Nurmagomedov. Against Ferguson, Gaethje looked his best yet, with jerky movements, hooks and strong and timely kicks to render his opponent’s front leg ineffective. His significant strike accuracy rate of 55.6% is the highest in UFC history. Against Ferguson, it rose to 72.6%.
How do the two fit together?
The breakdown has essentially been the same for all of Nurmagomedov’s fights. The Russian is at a disadvantage if it turns into a striking battle; God save the opponent if Nurmagomedov gets hold of them. 📣 Follow Express explained on Telegram
Nurmagomedov’s last two victories have been effortless and over excellent forwards McGregor and Poirier. The belief is that Gaethje’s pressure and heavy blows can make Nurmagomedov nervous, especially if the American goes crazy. And while the champion has shown improvements in his standing game, Gaethje can take the punishment and dish out many more times.
Nurmagomedov is expected to dominate once the fight hits the ground. But here’s the twist, Gaethje is a supreme fighter in his own right!
Gaethje had a 191-9 record with two championships coming from Arizona State High School and is an NCAA Division I All-American. Gaethje’s credentials outshine most UFC lightweights and he is the most successful fighter Nurmagomedov has faced in the Octagon. Still, the penchant for entertainment and punching means that Gaethje has only attempted a single takedown in his UFC career, but his takedown defense rate is 80% thanks to effective fighting.
And while Nurmagomedov has mostly faced freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestlers, Gaethje, like several American college wrestlers, is also trained in folk style. Unlike the other two disciplines, wrestlers do not lose points for exposing the back and the groundwork is based more on control and finding a pin. The folklore training means that Gaethje will also look to get out of trouble once he’s taken down.
“The thing about folk-style wrestling, folk-style wrestling doesn’t happen anywhere other than the United States,” Gaethje told MMAJunkie. “I only fight folk style. I rarely fight freestyle. In the folk style, I think the most important factor is that you can expose your back without losing points, which means that you rush. So every time he’s going to knock me down, I’m going to go round and round in a way that he’s never felt in his life.
“What he’s done all his life, these guys were never able to expose their backs to come out of a takedown because they were giving up points, and that’s the first thing you learn in freestyle is not to expose your back. So you go straight to your stomach and give up a takedown. They also never have to get up. “
Why should you be watching?
It’s a cliché, but the main event of UFC 254 really is the unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. For Nurmagomedov, it is a big step towards a claim like MMA GOAT. For Gaethje, it’s a Hollywood climax to what has already been a dizzying career filled with Highlight Reel moments.
It’s also a throwback to the old days of MMA when stylistic showdowns added intrigue to big fights. In the modern era, when boos sound as soon as a fight hits the ground, Nurmagomedov has made the fight entertaining with sheer brilliance and dominance. Meanwhile, Gaethje is the unassuming fighter who will always remain popular. Saturday, however, is an opportunity for him to step up and dethrone the king.
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