Khabib has to close the distance to get the take down and while he closes the distance, mcgregor could sleep him. Mcgregor should KO him. Khabib is just too easily hit but if mcgregor doesnt finish him early, mcgregors in trouble. Khabib seems to finish strong and mcgregor fades but khabib is a slow starter and mcgregor starts strong. Mcgregors weak on the ground, khabibs a killer on the ground and vice verse... Mcgregors wicked on the feet, khabib is garbage on the feet. It wont be an easy fight for either of them.
Ufc 223
- Thread starter Tao
- Start date
Khabib isnt that big. He only has half an inch on Mcgregor but mcgregor has a huge reach advantage.
Khabib is 5'9 1/2. Khabib is a killer on the ground but every round starts on the feet and no one hits like mcgregor in the lightweight divison, certainly not michael johnson, lol. 25 min is a long time when all it takes to get knocked out is a half second. Mcgregor has solid take down defence as well.I think Khabib is 5'-10" while Mcgregor is 5'-9"
The majority of opponents CM has faced were 5'-9" or smaller, the exception being Holloway and Diaz.
Mcgregor is something special on his feet regardless of height, as Aldo found out. That KO looked like a scene from the movie Snatch. McGregor has amazing accuracy and speed.
Khabib though, is the equivalent off his feet. Michael Johnson has hurt him standing, but also found out what happens when you don't stop him from coming, and Michael Johnson has excellent takedown defense.
Still, I wonder now if its a fight we even ever see happen.
Why didn't Iaquinta cut .2 pounds, I was wondering.Al Iaquinta meets Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223
The lightweight title still will be up for grabs in the UFC 223 main event – but only for one fighter.
Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will stay in the headliner in New York and will fight Al Iaquinta (13-3-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who will move up from the main-card opening fight against Paul Felder (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) for the fight. A person close to the fight revealed the news to MMAjunkie today, and a UFC official subsequently confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.
But because Iaquinta weighed in for his fight with Felder at 155.2 pounds, he will be ineligible to win the title since that number is two-tenths of a pound over the title-fight limit. The scrambling that went on after original headliner Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was pulled during the two-hour weigh-in window meant Iaquinta already had made weight for his fight with Felder, and hence had no reason to be given extra time to cut the small extra amount of weight since he wasn’t booked for a title fight till now.
Story
I'm not excited for this fight now...
Khabib has not been KO'ed before, and Connor has trouble KOing anyone whose the same size or bigger. I think Khabib showed he can avoid a great striker very easily in Barboza.Khabib has to close the distance to get the take down and while he closes the distance, mcgregor could sleep him. Mcgregor should KO him. Khabib is just too easily hit but if mcgregor doesnt finish him early, mcgregors in trouble. Khabib seems to finish strong and mcgregor fades but khabib is a slow starter and mcgregor starts strong. Mcgregors weak on the ground, khabibs a killer on the ground and vice verse... Mcgregors wicked on the feet, khabib is garbage on the feet. It wont be an easy fight for either of them.
He was originally scheduled to fight Felder, it was a non-title fight so there's a 1 pound allowance. Iaquinta had already weighed in and made weight for that fight before Holloway was pulled by the commission and left everyone scrambling to make a new main event. By the time Iaquinta got matched up against Khabib, it was way past the cutoff time for weigh-ins so he couldn't go back and weigh in again.Why didn't Iaquinta cut .2 pounds, I was wondering.
I'm not excited for this fight now...
Got it. I just about the whole mixup.He was originally scheduled to fight Felder, it was a non-title fight so there's a 1 pound allowance. Iaquinta had already weighed in and made weight for that fight before Holloway was pulled by the commission and left everyone scrambling to make a new main event. By the time Iaquinta got matched up against Khabib, it was way past the cutoff time for weigh-ins so he couldn't go back and weigh in again.
Khabib was dropped by michael johnson. Khabib has never been cracked by a guy like mcgregor because there isn't a guy like mcgregor in the feather and lightweight division. Mcgregor knows how to punch and how to finish guys and khabib will likely be no different.Khabib has not been KO'ed before, and Connor has trouble KOing anyone whose the same size or bigger. I think Khabib showed he can avoid a great striker very easily in Barboza.
Barboze is good but has no power.
I wouldnt be suprised if khabib stops mcgregor late in the fight but i see mcgregor knocking him stiff.
@arielhelwani
"Dana White just announced that Al Iaquinta, if he wins, will be considered UFC champion. White said that NYSAC may not recognize him as champ because of the .2 but he will. That is a new one."
https://mobile.twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/982392194282807296?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
"Dana White just announced that Al Iaquinta, if he wins, will be considered UFC champion. White said that NYSAC may not recognize him as champ because of the .2 but he will. That is a new one."
https://mobile.twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/982392194282807296?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Wait, time out. Are you saying because mcgregor couldnt finish diaz he wont be able to finish khabib? Not a good comparison. Diaz has a head of stone,khabib does not.Khabib has not been KO'ed before, and Connor has trouble KOing anyone whose the same size or bigger. I think Khabib showed he can avoid a great striker very easily in Barboza.
Diaz did work mcgregor on the matt with ease so khabib would likely smash mcgregor on the matt but he has to not only get him down... He has to keep him down. Easier said than done.
And if mcgregor couldn’t handle the pressure from Diaz, mcgregor will likely crack to khabib a pressure. Khabib has the most relentless pressure in the lightweight division. He does break guys and mcgregor does fall apart when he starts to lose. I just think mcgregor should KO him first round.
Khabib has never been TKO'ed, Nate has.Wait, time out. Are you saying because mcgregor couldnt finish diaz he wont be able to finish khabib? Not a good comparison. Diaz has a head of stone,khabib does not.
Diaz did work mcgregor on the matt with ease so khabib would likely smash mcgregor on the matt but he has to not only get him down... He has to keep him down. Easier said than done.
And if mcgregor couldn’t handle the pressure from Diaz, mcgregor will likely crack to khabib a pressure. Khabib has the most relentless pressure in the lightweight division. He does break guys and mcgregor does fall apart when he starts to lose. I just think mcgregor should KO him first round.
Diaz has fought everyone. Khabib has fought a bunch of bums. Barboza is decent but Khabib hasn’t fought anyone that can crack like mcgregor. Michael Johnson dropped him on his ass... what do you think is going to happen when mcgregor cracks him the mouth?Khabib has never been TKO'ed, Nate has.
Let’s look at the guys Khabib has beat in the ufc and their UFC records at the time they fought khabib. Tavares 7 - 4 Tibeau 10 - 5 Shalorus 0 - 1 Johnson 9 - 6 Horcher 0 - 0 Trujillo 1 - 0 Healy 0 - 1 Dos Anjos 9 - 4Khabib has never been TKO'ed, Nate has.
Khabib hasn’t beat anyone even worth mentioning besides Barboza. All bums.
Barboza can't crack? He's the only one in The UFC to knock anyone put with a standing spin kick, he definitely is the hardest kicker in The LW division.Diaz has fought everyone. Khabib has fought a bunch of bums. Barboza is decent but Khabib hasn’t fought anyone that can crack like mcgregor. Michael Johnson dropped him on his ass... what do you think is going to happen when mcgregor cracks him the mouth?
Tibeau in his prime was not a bum, he was juicing. RDA is not a bum, I'm not sure why you would suggest that. Even though Michael Johnson is not a contender he's a ranked opponent, he is not a bum either, just look at how rate of takedown defence not to mentoin his quick hands.Let’s look at the guys Khabib has beat in the ufc and their UFC records at the time they fought khabib. Tavares 7 - 4 Tibeau 10 - 5 Shalorus 0 - 1 Johnson 9 - 6 Horcher 0 - 0 Trujillo 1 - 0 Healy 0 - 1 Dos Anjos 9 - 4
Khabib hasn’t beat anyone even worth mentioning besides Barboza. All bums.
