Khabib Nurmagomedov will lock horns with Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 with the Lightweight Championship hanging in the balance. Khabib enters the fight as the recognized champion, but not the undisputed one.
Khabib vs. Gaethje is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on October 24, 2020 at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
While speaking to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Khabib revealed something positive about Gaethje. He very respectfully acknowledged that Gaethje shocked him with his performance when he bested Tony Ferguson to earn his shot at the title.
“I am very impressed about his last victory. Before the fight honestly, I think first maybe two rounds he have chance, if he knock him out, Tony Ferguson. In my mind, I think he gonna make him tired, but everybody see how improved Justin is and how he made a very smart fight. He improved a lot. I am very impressed about his footwork, about his timing on boxing, about his leg kicks. It was great performance for him,” Khabib said.
Justin Gaethje will have to overcome a lot to win this fight. Khabib is undefeated and looks scary. However, Gaethje is more than just a plucky underdog. He is possibly the biggest threat to Khabib in the division right now. He eliminated Tony Ferguson from the title picture. While he never got to rematch Dustin Poirier, Poirier is Khabib’s last victim.
“I could have never imagined representing the United States of America halfway across the world against an undefeated fighter that happens to be a Russian. You know, I happened to watch a lot of Rocky movies. I think it was Rocky IV, it was certainly something special.
Gaethje brings a varied skill-set to the table. But the question is, will it be enough to neutralise Khabib? This will be answered at UFC 254.
