FIGHT fans have a lot to talk about these days. Just a week after boxing gave us the barnburner which was Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez, now it’s the turn of Mixed Martial Arts to deliver us Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
This will be the UFC’s second event at “Fight Island” which is located at Abu Dhabi and is billed as a unification bout since Khabib (28-0) is the lightweight champion while Justin (22-2) is the interim titleholder.
Khabib is at least a 3-1 favorite and this betting line seems pretty accurate considering their recent outings, but Gaethje is a very live underdog and quite capable of pulling off an upset.
WEIGH-IN. There was a minor controversy at the weigh-in yesterday as it appeared that Khabib had himself a speedy one and looked quite gaunt and drained.
Pundits pointed out that the scale was still on its upward trajectory and had not yet settled when it was pre-empted and Khabib’s weight announced at 155 lbs.
It might be nothing in actuality as it was explained that they actually have the weigh-in at a backroom a few minutes before the “official” one for media coverage, but the fact remains that Khabib clearly gave out a sigh of relief after his weight was announced.
Perhaps a long layoff and the death of his father Abdulmanap during the pandemic might have affected his focus and training enough to affect his weight cut?
KEYS. Maybe some people are just reading too much into the weigh-in, but from Khabib’s demeanor, there were some who were claiming that this Dagestan warrior looked quite spent and Gaethje might have his best chances if the fight goes the full route.
On paper, this fight isn’t exactly an oil and water pairing as both fighters are excellent wresters.
But despite his stellar wrestling background, Gaethje is often more comfortable finishing fights on his feet and appears to have better boxing skills than Khabib.
The key here for Gaethje is to keep Khabib busy with his strikes and hopefully wear him out with the sheer accumulation of landed punches. If Khabib takes him to the ground (which he surely will) Gaethje can match up well with him and should be able to hold his own.
Khabib will be his usual ferocious self and so expect him to dictate a feral pace as he looks to grind and dish out some ferocious ground and pound.
When he fought Conor McGregor he demonstrated he can pack a punch as well and so it will be interesting how the striking exchanges play out. But to ensure his dominance in this bout, he needs to do what he does best- tire out his opponents with his strength and tenacity.
MY TAKE. The fight will be close and Gaethje will be able to rock Khabib with right hands, but “The Eagle” will be able to do more damage on the ground and win via unanimous decision.
VERBATIM. “Nurmagomedov’s plan is that he wants me to quit. But I don’t quit. I promise you guys, I ain’t going out like no bitch.” -Justin Gaethje (www.cbssports.com)
LAST ROUND. It’s on my kumpare Clifford Gaite who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers!