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“Gaethje Can Stop Khabib’s Wrestling”- Dustin Poirier Has Surprise Comments on Justin Gaethje vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Published 04/02/2020, 9:02 AM EDT

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Is Justin Gaethje the one to beat Khabib Nurmagomedov? ‘The Diamond’ Dustin Poirier has given his prediction for who can destroy Khabib’s spotless record.

With the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson still not confirmed as canceled, Ariel Helwani spoke to Poirier regarding his views on the match. Helwani asked Gaethje who among Justin and Tony have a better chance of beating Khabib. Dustin replied by saying, “I think Gaethje does. I’ve said this since the beginning.” Explaining to Helwani why he thinks so, he said, “I just think the wrestling pedigree [will make the difference].” He also cited examples from Tony’s past fights.

According to him, Tony didn’t fare well in wrestling against fighters like Danny Castillo and Kevin Lee. Thus, when it comes to wrestling Khabib, El Cucuy might not have a great a chance at winning.

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Khabib’s favorite martial art is Judo. Additionally, with his expertize in Combat Sambo, the fighter is almost unbeatable. It will take someone with impeccable wrestling skills to even defend themselves against The Eagle’s aggressive grapples.

And Poirier thinks Gaethje is the one capable enough to handle the Russian. He said, “[Gaethje] can stop Khabib’s wrestling. Get him tired down. Throw those crazy shots and land something.”

While Dustin is right about Gaethje’s skills as a wrestler, they might not be as useful as he assumes. Here’s why.

How is Poirier’s scenario regarding Justin vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov going to pan out?

For starters, Justin has taken to striking much more ever since he entered the world of MMA. While his amateur and college wrestling career is quite commendable, Justin does not like employing the art.

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And while ‘The Highlight’ does have a devastating striking power, he cannot be called the best in the game. In fact, one of the two losses in his MMA career was handed to him by Poirier himself, where Gaethje lost by TKO.

Moreover, Khabib has stood his ground against the very best of strikers, be it ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier.

Yet, if Gaethje can let go of his preference for striking, he might just have a chance. All said and done, he has the grit and stamina to resist Khabib’s aggression. Combine that with the skills that Gaethje possesses, and we can witness ‘The Eagle’ getting a run for his money.

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However, in Khabib himself stated that Tony is his toughest challenge, and no one else.

Do you agree with Poirier’s views?

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Written by:

Deepit Sharma

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