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On Saturday, October 24, the UFC 254 mixed martial arts tournament will take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
The main event of the event will be a fight between two of the best lightweight fighters: promotion champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and belt challenger Justin Gaethje.
How was the fight organized?
The lightweight title fight was originally scheduled for April. But the coronavirus pandemic has confused all the cards for the UFC leadership. Dana White wanted to put Khabib with another American: Tony Ferguson. However, that battle never took place, as Nurmagomedov rejected it; he was unable to fly into battle due to the closed borders.
White quickly found a new rival for Ferguson, which was Justin Gaethje. Tony was unlikely to be happy about this: the American wanted to fight for the title against the champion, but in the end he had to defend the title of mandatory contender in a duel against Gaji. Justin seized this opportunity and confidently defeated his compatriot.
The battle between Khabib and Gatji could have taken place in late summer. But the UFC bosses decided to postpone the fight until mid-fall. The reason is very valid: in July, the Russian’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died. Dana White did not want to pressure Khabib and agreed to postpone the title fight.
To say that the champion was in a terrible state is to say nothing. The death of his father influenced him greatly, many of the best fighters in the UFC suggested that Khabib could end his professional career. But Nurmagomedov did not give up: he wisely used the postponement of the battle and ran a powerful training ground.
What did Khabib and Gatji say about each other?
Habib Nurmagomedov:
“I don’t care what Gajee has prepared, I think about my abilities. If he goes to the front, I will accept, pressures, I will fight. I don’t focus on the best sides of the opponent, I just do what I like.
I want to finish the fight ahead of schedule and I can already imagine how I’ll make it end ahead of schedule. With each fight, Getji grew like a professional. At some points in the fight with Ferguson, I was surprised: he fought carefully, was in no rush and was cold-blooded. Gaji is a worthy opponent. “
Justin Gaethje:
“Psychologically, I have been preparing for this fight since Khabib. We have both been involved in this sport since childhood. But he probably never fought someone who worked as hard and as hard as him. Myself.
My confidence is the most important factor, and when combined with power and training, it becomes a dangerous combination. Add to this hard work, skill, and a little luck.
This is the biggest fight of my life, hands down. I will not allow external factors to affect my attitude and preparation. I have confidence in myself, and my confidence grows every day. This has been going on for eight weeks, and there are still 3.5 weeks to go. I’ll be ready to fight like never before. “
Nurmagomedov and Gatji’s latest fights
Khabib boasts an ideal professional record of 28 wins in MMA, eight of which were knockouts. The Russian became the UFC champion in April 2018, defeating American Al Iaquinta. After that, he passed two title defenses, against Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
The fight with Conor took place two years ago, in October 2018. Nurmagomedov did not experience any particular problems in that fight: he completely dominated the Octagon and won in the fourth round with a painful grip, breaking the Irishman’s neck. A year later, American Dustin Poirier claimed the title. But Khabib didn’t make a mistake this time, either – it took the champion three rounds to stop the opponent.
Since then, Nurmagomedov has not appeared in the Octagon. As mentioned above, the fight between the Russian and Ferguson was supposed to take place in April, but the meeting was canceled due to the coronavirus.
Gaethje, unlike his next rival, already entered the Octagon in 2020. The victory over Ferguson became the 22nd for the American in MMA with two losses. Overall, Justin has had two more UFC fights since April 2018 than Khabib.
So, in the spring of 2018, the American met with Dustin Poirier. That fight cannot be recorded as an advantage for Gajee – the opponent knocked out Justin in the fourth round. But the defeat only motivated the American fighter. He returned to the lightweight elite in August with a spectacular beating over James Wick.
Then there was a fight with Brazilian Edson Barboza, which took place in March 2019. It took Justin two and a half minutes to “knock down” his opponent. And a year ago, Gaethje beat Donald Cerrone (again by knockout). The American’s last fight took place in April. As you know, Justin’s rival was Tony Ferguson. He knocked out his compatriot at 3:39 in the fifth round.
Strengths and weaknesses of the fighters.
Gaethje, as you know, relies on the hitting technique. And not in vain, because he is a great drummer. Judge for yourself: 19 knockouts in 24 fights is truly an incredible achievement.
Gaethje’s main trump card is the lowkiki. You can hit your opponent’s legs so hard that you don’t want to continue the fight. But in a duel with Khabib, this approach can play a cruel joke on the American, as the Russian will definitely be ready for Justin’s low kicks. Also, if Nurmagomedov catches Gatji, then the fight will continue on the court and the American is unlikely to be satisfied.
Anger is another trait of Gaethje that can help him and destroy his chances of winning. The American is used to flying towards an opponent with his fists, and this often plays a key role in a fight – opponents are simply not prepared for such pressure. On the other hand, the tactic of “beating your opponent stronger than you” doesn’t always work. And it is unlikely to work with a fighter as experienced as Khabib.
Nurmagomedov knows how to fight both standing and on the ground. He has an incredible skill set and is considered one of the best fighters in the world according to the P4P ranking. It has practically no weaknesses. But we are talking about the ideal version of Khabib.
Another thing is the current form of Nurmagomedov. The last time he entered the Octagon was a year ago and it is still unclear in what physical and, most importantly, psychological condition the Russian is. The death of his father influenced him greatly, and it can almost certainly be said that the absence of a loved one near the Octagon will have a tremendous impact on Khabib.
Forecast
The bookmakers give priority to the Russian champion in the fight. Nurmagomedov is expected not to experience any particular problems in the Gatji fight. But it is difficult to predict what it will really be like. In 2020, we saw a lot of surprises, and who knows, maybe Gaethi can create the same sensation as boxer Teofimo López in a fight with Vasily Lomachenko.
The main point is the physical condition of both fighters. It’s no secret that the “higher” Khabib will easily defeat the “higher” Gatji. The Russian is a more calculating and calm fighter than his opponent. But then again, we are talking about the “higher” Khabib. It is still unclear in what form Nurmagomedov is and whether he has “walked away” from Abdulmanap’s death.
However, given the price of the fight’s outcome, Khabib is unlikely to prepare poorly for this fight.
ISPORT.ua Forecast: Nurmagomedov’s victory.
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