No one has been able to defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov in the cage yet. But, Justin Gaethje says he has a clearer understanding on how to hand the lightweight champ a loss, than how to beat Tony Ferguson.
Gaethje says Ferguson is a harder “puzzle” to solve
To date, no one has had any real answers on how to counter the galaxy class wrestling and top game of Nurmagoomedov.
Fighters may have had a strategy on how to defend against Khabib’s grappling heading into a bout. But in the fight itself, Nurmagomedov’s wrestling has ruled the day.
But, while breaking down how he would approach fighting Khabib versus Ferguson, Gaethje recently said this (quotes via MMA Fighting).
“I think the puzzle is going to be harder,” Gaethje said about Ferguson. “There’s so many unknows with Tony.
You know what Khabib is going to do, and that’s going to be take you down, try to push you against the fence. And if not, he’s going to try and take shots from the space in the middle of the octagon.
“I believe that he can’t take me down in the middle of the octagon, and I can stay off the fence. So that puzzle is written.
How do you beat Tony? I don’t know. I’m going to find out.”
It’s an interesting point. While Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest wrestlers and grapplers the game’s ever seen, Ferguson is one of the most unpredictable and dangerous lightweights of this generation.
Gaethje expects to take some damage
And, while talking about what he’s expecting in his fight with Ferguson tomorrow, Gaethje said this.
“I’m going to get elbowed. I’d be a fool to go in there and think I’m going to get out of there unscathed. Nine of 10 times, that’s not going to happen.
“We have seen him get hit, we’ve never seen him get finished. No one ever put Edson to sleep like he did it.
I know how hard it’s going to be to find the shot, but it only takes one, and I possess the skills and the power to land it.
Tony is a very unique fighter, and it’s going to take time and patience to figure out how to be successful.”
Yup. When you consider the aggressive approach of both men, and the weapons they possess, it will be pretty shocking if they emerge from this fight unscathed.
Especially if the fight goes three rounds or more.
UFC 249 will go down at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
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