Khabib vs Gaethje

I think Gaethje may have already provided the most entertaining fight this year but this one against Khabib is looking like it has the potential to be everything that Izzy V Costa wasn't.

I rewatched some of Khabib's fights this weekend. He's a straight-up monster and right up there with GSP in terms of likeability. Full of respect and not interested in the BS that most other fighters are. Probably my favourite fighter since GSP.

Gaethje is just an honest warrior. Also very likeable and a great striker...that actually came into the UFC as a wrestler. Having looked back at some of his fights, the guy does have a great sprawl and is by no means easy to take down.

A really tricky proposition for Khabib. 

While replaying Connor Vs Khabib I realised two things. Connor did better than I initially thought and, more importantly, Khabib struggled to get him down and make it count until the fourth round when he finished him.

Barring some unexpected KO, I think Gaethje might try to follow Connor's gameplan but sprawl more efficiently and spend no/very little time on his back. All of Khabib's damage is donewhen he takes opponents down adjacent to the fence, gets them in awkward positions and then finishes with ground and pound. Gaethje has already said that if he gets caught with his back to the fence he'll lose. 

So no secrets in this one. Just a propper contest of gameplan and skill between two great champs !

Can't wait!!!

And for any UFC noobs reading this, here is Khabib as a young lad, wrestling a bear. 

His dad would regularly make his son wrestle young bears in order to build and test his character.

Legendary stuff.

The interesting issue here, as far as I know..... is that Gaethje is the most accomplished wrestler that Khabib is going to have ever faced to date, so that really throws another element into this whole equation.....

I genuinely don't know who to pick here..... the money would say Khabib…..

I really like Khabib, but he does tend to be boring, with his style.....  whereas Justin has far more exciting fights, but as they say, the whole point is to hit and not be hit back

Plum, I have been picking them all wrong lately, so I have absolutely no faith at all in my pick here either

Khabib is just so dominant, but man, I cannot go against Justin...… if this goes to the floor, Gaethje is finished, even though he is himself a very reputable wrestler

I have Justin winning it with a TKO

"Plum, I have been picking them all wrong lately, so I have absolutely no faith at all in my pick here either "

haha you and me both.

That's the fight game. Nothing is certain.

To me there are two key factors in the fight.

1) Watching Porier v Khabib, look how open Khabib leaves his front leg once he gasses a bit. Gaethje's leg kicks are devastating. He has said he's gonna attack the leg too. 

2) Gaethje's sprawl. Strength-wise, he matches Khabib and growing up as a wrestler I think he has sprawling muscle memory that most of Khabibs previous opponents didn't have.

Gaethje has said he will avoid being taken down near the cage. Combine that with takedown defence and powerful leg kicks. 

Khabib is geat but has never struck me as a cunning fighter. He's just spectacular at getting you down and then finishing it on the ground. 

Gaethje's strengths mean that Khabib will have to adapt or die.

I'm also going Gaethje, round 3 TKO.

Saying that, it might be same-old same-old come Saturday haha.

"Khabib is geat but has never struck me as a cunning fighter. He's just spectacular at getting you down and then finishing it on the ground"

Yep, I also think exactly the same

Looks like lots of people are picking Gaethje.

Been re-watching some of Khabib's fights and he is defos vulnerable to leg kicks. Very immobile and plants the front leg, never doing much kicking of his own. 

I suspect we'll see Gaethje hammering the legs from the start of round 1.

So disappointing....

Extremely dominant display from Khabib

I must be honest, the way Khabib was walking Gaethje down in the first round, I never expected it to get past the 2nd round....

I could be wrong be Justin was either apprehensive, or scared....

Very bland fight, and the ref was shocking with how he missed those taps

I think Khabib is the GOAT, TBH.

The only argument for Jones is that he is way more exciting.

Poor Gaethje, guy learnt a BJJ lesson there.

Quite odd how nobody mentioned BJJ in the buildup. It was all about takedown defence and distance.

LOL a triangle from the mount position...haha

"LOL a triangle from the mount position...haha"

Yeah, the fact that Khabib even had the balls to go for this move, shows just how much confidence he has

I was stunned to see him pull that off