UFC 254 will feature a fight for lightweight royalty as undefeated dominant champ Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his belt against dangerous interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Many people from the MMA community believe Gaethje has what it takes to shock the world and give Khabib his first setback on his unblemished 28-0 record. However, former UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez does not believe in that theory.
Alvarez having fought and even defeated Gaethje back in December 2017, does not believe ‘The Highlight’ can get the job done. Even though Gaethje has a decorated wrestling pedigree, Alvarez claims he won’t have the experience jiu-jitsu wise to be able to deal with what Khabib on the ground. (BJPENN.com):
Alvarez breaks down the Khabib vs. Gaethje battle!
“The majority of the fight, where is it going to happen, and I just see Khabib taking him down. We’ve got to assume it’s going to be on the ground, and I just don’t feel like Justin has the experience jiu-jitsu-wise to be able to deal with what Khabib is going to be able to bring on the ground.”
“Justin is a come-forward fighter, and I think against a guy like Khabib, you need to be really lateral. You need to move a lot so he can’t get square and then get his shots in on you and Justin’s kinda there. He’s right in front of you and even his mind coming into the fight when I hear the media, ‘I’ve just got to create a car accident,’ I don’t know if that’s the right mindset against Khabib.”
Gaethje is coming off a phenomenal fifth-round TKO against former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. He’s a decorated NCAA Division I wrestler and the first North Colorado wrestler to attain Division I All-American status. He is therefore extremely confident in his abilities.
“I know I’m going to see his blood. I want him to see his blood and I want to see his reaction. He isn’t as crazy as me, that’s the thing,” Gaethje said in an interview.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a dominant third-round submission win against another interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September last year.