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UFC 242: Khabib vs Poirier - Sep 7 🇦🇪


wandshogun09

Who wins and how?   

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I definitely think a fair chunk of the hate for Khabib is from McGregor fans. The really brainwashed and besotted McGregor fans have always been weird like that. They have to find an angle or reason to hate his opponents/rivals. Aldo was ‘faking a broken rib’ and terrified, Dos Anjos pulled out with a ‘bruised foot’ etc. I’m sure Eddie Alvarez was getting shat on in the buildup to their fight as well. What the fuck kind of MMA fan hates Eddie Alvarez? Those seriously in love McGregor fans are a different breed. There’s no reasoning with that. They don’t seem to realise that you can root for your guy without hating the man in the other corner. 

Granted, there are valid reasons to dislike Khabib but I doubt those are why the McGregor fans hate him. It’s because he had the cheek to speak their phone smashing, OAP slapping, mercy begging, lying about broken foot having leader’s name in vain. 

There’s got to be an element of some of the hate being about his religion. That goes without saying. But I think there’s a few factors going on. I think the anti-Khabib section of the MMA fanbase can be split up into a few groups - the Islamaphobe lot, the McGregor obsessives, the people who just don’t like his fighting style etc. There’ll be crossover there, like I dare say there’s a significant overlap between the Islamaphobes and the McGregor arselicks. Then there’ll be people who genuinely just don’t like some of the things he’s done or been involved in like the brawl after the McGregor fight, the Kadyrov links and so on. Don’t want to speak for him but I think that’s the root of Carbomb disliking Khabib from what I recall of some of his past posts. There’s probably quite a mix. 

Regardless, this is a fantastic fight tomorrow. If I had to put money on it I’d still pick Khabib but the closer it’s getting I am starting to get a little nagging feeling that we might see an upset. 

Edited by wandshogun09
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Caught up on Embedded, some interviews and the weigh ins. Just a few hours away now. Remember the prelims kick off at 3pm UK time. 

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Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Dustin Poirier - This is such an interesting fight. You know what Khabib is going to try to do and that gameplan hasn’t failed him yet in 27 fights. But there’s something about how Poirier has talked and carried himself in the buildup to this fight, and over the last year or two really, that I like. There’s a real confidence and maturity there these days. He’s gone through his share of losses and he’s came back stronger to the point he’s 100% fully deserving of that interim belt and this shot at Khabib. His journey reminds me a lot of Michael Bisping’s in that he’s continuously bounced back and got to where he is through hard work and a refusal to fuck off. It’s why I fancy his chances more than I ever did Conor McGregor’s. Poirier might be beaten tonight but I can’t see him being broken mentally. He’ll be there and trying to win until it’s over. The question remains how he’ll deal with Khabib’s grappling though. We’ve never really seen Poirier come up against too many strong wrestlers, and Khabib is the best of the best at that. The flipside to that could be conditioning. If there’s a chink in Khabib’s armour I think it might be cardio in the later rounds. Yeah, he finished McGregor in the 4th but that was a fight he was bossing and controlling the pace. And he still took the 3rd round off. In the Iaquinta fight I thought he was starting to fade slightly late. Nothing drastic, he was still in control, but he was looking slower and starting to struggle more to secure his takedowns. His cardio isn’t a massive issue, I’m clutching at straws really but if there’s a possible way to get him I think it might be in the championship rounds when he’s feeling the pace, dropping his hands and maybe more likely to get sloppy shooting for takedowns. I think the crazy pace Khabib sets plus being a big 155 the weight cut must be rough, he’s got to feel it late in the fight. That’s Poirier’s best bet to clip him, IMO. But what will be left of him by that point? 

I’m sticking with Khabib by decision. I do think there’s an outside chance of Poirier surviving, weathering the storm and outlasting him conditioning wise and catching him late. But most likely by the late rounds he’ll be behind on the scorecards and too damaged and tired himself to pull it off. He might have his moments and I can see it being closer and more competitive than Khabib’s fights usually are, but ultimately I think it’ll be 28-0 for the Russian. Got a feeling this might be a tough one though. Might be Khabib’s ‘Jones-Gustafsson 1’ moment where he has to show his championship grit for the first time. 

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Edson Barboza vs Paul Felder 2 - Can’t see this disappointing. Both exciting to watch and love busting out the old ‘spinning shit’ (Nick Diaz™️). Barboza won the first fight by decision but who knows really? They’ve both had some hard fights since then and taken their knocks. 

I’ll go Barboza on points again. It’s very rare I’ll pick against Barboza in a standup fight and this is most likely going to be all standup. Barboza’s big losses have usually come against suffocating, grinding wrestlers. The times he’s lost on the feet have usually been by getting caught by someone heavy handed and that’s because the only hole in Barboza’s striking is that he doesn’t really have the best chin. But I don’t really see Felder having the kind of power to stop Barboza. Could be wrong. I just see Barboza landing the bigger and more eye catching shots, especially the kicks, and coming away with the decision in an entertaining fight. 

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Islam Makhachev vs Davi Ramos - I reckon this is the sleeper to bag FOTN. Two of the unheralded badasses in the 155 division for me. Inactivity has held Makhachev back but he’s a beast. It’s almost a shame Makhachev and Khabib are friends/training partners because I can really see him becoming a contender over the next year or two providing he stays healthy and active. But I doubt they’d ever fight each other. And I really like what I’ve seen of Ramos so far. We just haven’t seen enough yet and he hasn’t had that spotlight shone on him. This is his big opportunity though. 

Makhachev by decision for me. Just not really sure Ramos is quite ready for him. 

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Curtis Blaydes vs Shamil Abdurakhimov - The fight I’m least arsed about on the main card. Hopefully it’ll be better than I expect. Blaydes is good. If he hadn’t lost that second Ngannou fight he’d probably have had a title shot by now. He was on that kind of trajectory with the Overeem and Hunt wins. Abdurakhimov isn’t terrible himself but I just haven’t enjoyed watching him. 

I’ll have Blaydes to stop him, probably a TKO via ground and pound. Shamil’s a big, tough old lump but I think Blaydes should do a job on him really. 

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Mairbek Taisumov vs Carlos Diego Ferreira - This should be fun. There’s a reason this is opening up the main card and I think it’s because they’re both usually entertaining to watch. 

I like Taisumov on points but I hope Ferreira wins. He gets no love really but he’s a good fighter, really strong BJJ, doesn’t mind a scrap on the feet and has some power in his hands. Taisumov will probably overwhelm him though, I reckon. 

So full predictions; 

Khabib Nurmagomedov by Decision. 

Edson Barboza by Decision. 

Islam Makhachev by Decision. 

Curtis Blaydes by KO/TKO. 

Mairbek Taisumov by Decision. 

Andrea Lee by Submission. 

Zubaira Tukhugov by Decision. 

Liana Jojua by Submission. 

Ottman Azaitar by KO/TKO. 

Takashi Sato by KO/TKO. 

Muslim Salikhov by Decision. 

Zak Cummings by Decision. 

Don Madge by KO/TKO.

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Khabib is obviously the big favourite going into this, but I wouldn't be surprised if Poirier hurts him early and springs an upset. If Dustin is to win, then I think it's by first round KO. A flash win similar to Nunes Vs Cyborg, Cejudo Vs Dillashaw or Zhang Vs Andrade. Catch him cold when he shoots in early, rattle him and don't let him recover.

If it goes past the first found I don't see an upset. The heat is expected to be stifling, and I heard Helwani saying that the 'arena' isn't really built, that it's effectively a tent outside in the desert. They are both going to be exhausted, my guess is the guy that's on top in the grappling exchanges is going to be the happier of the two when or if it gets to the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds. 

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I smell an upset. My prediction is mostly based on Khabib v Ferguson being the most cursed match in the sports history and we can't have nice things.

I'll be devastated if Khabib loses.

The rest of the card is a bit weak, but that seems to be a bit of a theme since they signed that guaranteed money deal with ESPN+.

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The worst thing about a Khabib loss tonight would be the McTwats flooding social media to tell the world how he was exposed, overrated and that Conor will slaughter him in a rematch. 

Anyway, Teddy Atlas will be watching; 

If BT Sport had offered an option for a Teddy Atlas alternative commentary feed for this show, they’d have got my £20. Amateurs. 

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Well it's good Chester can sleep in loud places because for nearly 15 minutes I was screaming at the tv like I was live in the arena..... what a huge disappointment personally but how the fuck can anyone put an argument together about the level and skills in Khabib.... Dustin showed spots of hope but for the most part Khabib just overpowered like I knew deep down he would.

The co main however was an absolute war I've got mad respect for barboza and felder easy fight of the night.

*edit/addition* in the post interview he got asked what's next he has mentioned Tony Ferguson ext and he replied with its been a busy 2 years I need some time to rest and time to myself then I'll think......you were suspended and sat out for nearly a year dude jesus haha 

Edited by Kfogg1991
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Unless you were heavily rooting for Dustin, it's difficult to see which aspect of the fault people could be disappointed with. When you tune in for Khabib, you aren't tuning in for a Gaethje-esque slugfest, you know exactly what you're getting, and he delivered again tonight. He's got to be the best Lightweight ever at this point? I'd have thought alongside T-Ferg, Poirier was going to be his toughest challenge, and aside from one good punch, it was plain sailing. It must be fucking miserable to be in the cage with him. You can pinpoint the exact moment fighters realise how fucked they are, like when Dustin had a tight guillotine, and Khabib just pops his head out moments later. It was like watching Ralph Wiggum when Lisa dumps him. Hopefully they book Ferguson next because aside from him I don't see anybody giving Khabib any grief.

Dipped in and out of the prelims. Moras/Jojua was shit. Despite Moras winning, I hope they both get the boot. Azaitar's KO was nasty. It speaks volumes about Packalen that all I'll now remember him for is getting knocked out brutally by Diakese and now Azaitar. Thought Lerone Murphy looked decent considering he was facing some stiff competition in Zubairia on short notice.

Blaydes looked really good. Didn't realise he was only 28 - despite his losses to Ngannou, he's someone that really isn't that far away from title contention. I'd love to see him against JDS when he's finished with his dancing. All I could think of during Makhachev's fight is that he looks like the terrifying lovechild of Khabib and Cejudo. Enjoyed Felder/Barboza, and didn't disagree too harshly with Paul getting the nod, but on a scorecard of 30-27? Not a prayer. Wouldn't complain about seeing the trilogy play out over the course of five rounds, come to think of it. 

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I really enjoyed the main event. 

Poirier had his moments. He tagged Khabib with a right in the 2nd round and had a guillotine locked in during the 3rd. But, as per usual, Khabib looked like a monster throughout most of the fight. Poirier is a great name to have on his resume. 

Get Khabib vs Ferguson booked for January! 

Edited by jimufctna24
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Once I saw Khabib had his old man in his corner there was no way he was losing that.

Khabib was in a couple of dangerous spots but it didn't matter. Khabib is skilled, tough and clever enough to work around your moments and inevitably get the takedown. No doubt Rogan will spin it that Khabib has glaring weaknesses, but he's so dominant that a moment on the backfoot will always seem more significant than it is. Although that guillotine looked the business, again speaks to the sort of skill Khabib has to get out. It's the sort of thing that makes the Tony fight so interesting because Tony is a master at fighting from his back.

The end was hilarious too. Khabib flying over the cage for the hugs.

Scary, tough and seemingly invincible. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov really is the baddest man on the planet. No wonder Khabib keeps the telly on mute when his old man is in his bed.

Edited by ColinBollocks
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4 hours ago, ColinBollocks said:

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov really is the baddest man on the planet. No wonder Khabib keeps the telly on mute when his old man is in his bed.

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That belt is going fucking nowhere

Khabib vs Poirier was good stuff. Khabib is just an animal. It’s mad when you think how stacked the 155 division is, then see how Khabib is dominating and standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. There really is only Tony Ferguson who I think has a legitimate chance of beating him. Everyone else isn’t even coming close outside of a ‘punchers chance’ from a Justin Gaethje or whatever. The scary thing is Khabib is actually getting better. Remember when the knock on him was that he was dominant but a bit of a decision merchant? Now he’s finishing guys like McGregor and Poirier in back-to-back fights. Poirier gave it a good go, didn’t embarrass himself. But it just wasn’t going to happen for him with Khabib on that kind of form. Poor Teddy Atlas probably threw his dinner up the wall. 

It fucking better be Khabib vs Ferguson next. I don’t want to hear about any McGregor rematch unless they’re giving the old whiskey refuser a rematch. Dana was saying at the press conference that it’ll be Khabib vs Ferguson but then he made sure to throw in something like ‘...but if Ferguson doesn’t or can’t take the fight at that time for any reason, Khabib vs Conor 2 would make sense’. What’s that shite? 

Rest of the card wasn’t the best. Wasn’t awful but I’m glad I didn’t pay £20 for it. 

Barboza vs Felder 2 was fun as expected. Like most I had Barboza winning. Whoever said do the rubber match over 5 rounds, I love that idea. Have it main event a Fight Night in Brazil or something. 

Curtis Blaydes looked a beast. Abdurakhimov had nothing for him. 

Was chuffed to see Diego Ferreira and Joanne Calderwood pick up wins. 

Highlight of the prelims was by far the Ottman Azaitar KO though. Fucking hell. What a way to debut. That was frightening. Hopefully Packalén is alright but Christ. And yeah, sadly he’s developing the wrong kind of highlight reel and a rep for getting ironed out. This doesn’t even show the disturbing leg twitching...

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As things stand Khabib is the best lightweight in the history of the sport. If he beats T-Ferg, and then maybe takes on a big name like GSP or even McG again for his 30th fight and wins, he's surely in the conversation for greatest of all time?

Unbeaten streaks that lasted almost a decade are seemingly a thing of the past, when MMA was less populated and less competitive, so for someone to do that today is something special. To go undefeated for seven years and 12 fights in the top promotion in what is considered one of the most stacked divisions is insane. The way he's done it is incredible as well, hardly ever losing a round.

Oh, and Justin Gaethje threw out the mic-drop reply to McG after he tweeted about wanting a rematch in Moscow:

Quote

“You’re a tool. You have lost everything already. You are a shit human, father, and husband. Fuck you.”

Ouch.

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