K. Nurmagomedov bets on wrestling to beat J. Gaethje. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
After the euphoria regarding the UFC 253, now, the MMA community is waiting for the UFC 254, which will be held on October 24th, in Abu Dhabi. The long-awaited fight between the lightweight champion (70,3kg), Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the challenger, Justin gaethje, is seen with balance by fans, other fighters and members of the press, but the Russian has a different perception about it.
At the press conference, held virtually, Nurmagomedov surprised by saying that the duel may not be as competitive as many are thinking. ‘The Eagle’ considers Gaethje a dangerous and violent opponent, but believes that it takes more than savagery to win important fights and bets that his wrestling and I.Q. of struggle will make a difference.
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“I don’t think it will be a chess match. Gaethje is tough, he likes fighting and blood, that's all. He is a true warrior, he presses, he has a lot of determination and he has a very good coach, which was important in his victory against Ferguson, but my I.Q. fighting style is much better than his. Also, I'm going to use wrestling a lot. If he defends himself from the takedown, I'll try again and again until I succeed, but of course we'll fight standing up too. My goal is to tire him out and maybe I can do that in the third or fourth round. I’m going to finish him off,” Khabib bet.
At 32, Khabib Nurmagomedov goes into this fight wanting to honor his father, who passed away in July 2020, maintain his UFC lightweight reign and remain undefeated in MMA. The Russian won 28 fights and has already announced that he will retire after his 30th fight.
Moreover, Justin gaethje, 31 years old, managed to recover in the organization after winning four fights in a row, all of which were by knockout. In his last performance, ‘The Highlight’ justified his nickname by shining against the feared Tony Ferguson, in May 2020.
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