Khabib Nurmagomedov could have defeated Justin Gaethje in a standing fight at UFC 254 because he has good capital plus the fact that Gaethje has also collapsed twice in his career.
Khabib won through domination in the ground fighting in the match against Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. However, this did not prove that Khabib was only good at takedowns and ground fighting.
Before defending his title against McGregor and Poirier, evidence that Khabib does not rely solely on wrestling and ground fighting can be seen in the duel against Al Iaquinta for the UFC lightweight title in 2018.
In this match, Khabib confidently fought in a standing fight and exchanged blows with Al Iaquinta.
For 25 minutes, Khabib successfully tortured Al Iaquinta through occasional punches combined with kicks. Khabib’s punches have even stained Al Iaquinta’s face with blood since the third round.
Due to his strong stances as a provision for takedowns, Khabib’s footwork has also proven effective in standing fights. He can dodge the opponent’s punches and quickly move into the opponent’s defense.
When Al Iaquinta is busy defending his punches, Khabib is able to quickly take the takedown and deliver lock after lock.
Al Iaquinta did manage to survive Khabib’s submission efforts, several times also because he was helped by the bell for the match ended.
But for 25 minutes, Khabib really brought torture for Al Iaquinta. Khabib did not win by KO / TKO or submission, but when the match ended, Khabib was confident that he would win in absolute numbers.
It’s an image of a match like that that Gaethje should watch out for. The fighter from the United States should not be confident that he will be dominant in the standing fight against Khabib.
In the two duels against McGregor and Poirier, Khabib played more effectively and efficiently because his ground fight could really drain the opponent’s energy and didn’t give the opponent a chance to strike back with dangerous risks.
Thwarting Khabib’s Takedown Doesn’t Mean Winning
Gaethje came confidently at UFC 254 because he had a knack for wrestling. This background is why it is believed that Gaethje will not fall victim to Khabib’s takedown absolutely because he can provide resistance.
But when at UFC 254 later Khabib’s attempt to take a takedown was successfully thwarted by Gaethje, it did not mean that the victory belonged to Gaethje. In fact, Gaethje must remain fully vigilant when the fight takes place in a state of exchange of blows.
Beyond his ground fighting prowess, Khabib has proven he also has good standing fighting skills. Based on the meeting record, Khabib should even be proud because he has never lost so far and he has never had trouble facing opponents who rely on standing fights.
The note is different with Gaethje. The fighter from the United States has fallen twice, in the hands of Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier. This can be used as a guideline for Gaethje that he should not boast that he will win easily in a standing fight.
During these two defeats, Gaethje tended to attack without reckoning and was hit back. The defeat was also proof that Gaethje’s jaw was not strong enough to hit the opponent’s punch.
If Gaethje continues to show excessive confidence in the standing fight, it is not impossible that it will be dangerous for him. Khabib was able to punish Gaethje through a standing fight, even before Gaethje felt how dangerous Khabib’s ground fight was.
