Khabib vs. McGregor: The Gameplan:

Conor makes his long overdue return, as both men meet their toughest test to date.   


The single biggest mixed-martial arts bout in history finally has a confirmed date. 'Sin City' will play host to a Lightweight grudge match between the so far un-rivaled and undisputed champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the sports biggest household name Conor McGregor on October 6th.

Both men are masters of their specific crafts. Khabib an elite leve one percent-er grappler and sambo expert, McGregor a swift counter striker with a piston for a left hand which only Nate Diaz has been able to survive. Embroiled in legal affairs since April 2018 relating to UFC 223, McGregor's stock has failed to take a hit, in fact almost surging as a result. With the biggest stage in combat sports hosting the highly anticipated clash, expect Khabib vs. McGregor to smash the organisation's PPV records, with or without the correct promotion.

So with the classic striker versus grappler match up officially booked, I take a look at how both Khabib and Conor should approach this contest in search of success.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: 

 Dagestan favourite Khabib's strenghts are obvious, and have so far been unsuccessfully dealt with in his ten octagon walks. A naturally aggressive and tenacious sambo specialist, Nurmagomedov has steam rolled each and everyone of his opponents on his long path to UFC gold. He can shoot from distance and latch onto an ankle, grab either side of a high crotch single leg or execute throws, trips and bodylocks from the fence due to his smothering pummeling game. Where 'The Eagle' really excels though, is after he initially has you on your back. Khabib often triangles his opponents leg in half guard and uses head pressure to establish posture and transition to side control or full mount, the most feared position to find yourself in. Khabib throws hammers from the top with naturally heavy hands and constant attacks to both the torso and head of his opponent almost zaps their energy and resilience within minutes.


Examples of crushing pressure can be found against the likes of strikers Edson Barboza and Michael Johnson. Johnson, a much faster but sloppier striker than many at 155lbs, tagged Khabib in the opening round of their UFC 205 meeting, but couldn't close the show as Nurmagomedov recovered. After clearing the cobwebs, Nurmagomedov closed the distance and secured a takedown. Within minutes, Johnson seemed bewildered and shocked with Khabib's pressure and smothering top game. Dominance was personified by Khabib by not only with his mid fight conversation with Dana White in which he made his case for a title shot, whilst still landing strikes no less, but also when he slapped a kimura on Johnson, explaining to him how he deserved this moment, and ushered him to tap or his arm would be broken.

Earning an long overdue title shot with a win against Muay Thai practitioner Edson Barboza, Khabib displayed a hugely similar shut out over three rounds, incredible if you think about Edson's assassin like striking and stellar takedown defence up until UFC 219. After failing with a number of low ankle picks, Khabib reverted to his fence attempts, scooping and planting Barboza much more frequently. Head pressure created the opportunity to land strikes to the now clock watching Brazilian who never looked like escaping from Nurmagomedov's clutches. Edson managed a patented wheel kick attempt in the third, with Khabib marching through without so much as an expression change before landing yet another takedown.

Khabib is undeniably the most extensive and talented wrestler McGregor has been matched with since his professional bow ten years ago, with Chad Mendes and Eddie Alvarez coming in a close second and third respectively. Both Mendes and Alvarez are wrestlers in the traditional sense, with Khabib hailing from a Judo and Sambo background. Mendes managed to land multiple takedowns, albeit to a compromised McGregor who injured his ACL while rolling with Owen Roddy prior to UFC 189, while Alvarez failed to score a single one after he was dinged early and òften in the opening round of the pair's UFC 205 headliner.

Khabib's pressure is sure to be more smothering than that of Chad's, who elected to remain in full guard and throw slashing elbows rather than pass and mount, something that Nurmagomedov is an absolute expert at.


Khabib's wrestling is really a massive factor in this fight, whether successful or unsuccessful. We seen first hand in the undefeated Dagestan's most recent octagon appearance against short notice replacement Al Iaquinta, his tendency to walk forward with his chin high and exposed, detrimental when paired with a slick boxer such as McGregor. Khabib's striking was also questioned firmly throughout the final two or so rounds with Iaquinta, as he worked off a lunging jab while looking to cover distance. A real lack of angle cutting or creative striking was also on display with Khabib winging anything else other than a jab.

Keys To Success:

Shooting from the right distance.
Actively transitioning to prevent Conor from gaining a scramble opportunity.
Utilise the cage and fence.
Avoid lunging with a jab and backing away with his chin in the air.
Be wary of Conor's impeccable distance control and ability to counter a miss timed shot with a lead uppercut.

Conor McGregor: 

 Avoid the takedown... but that's easier said than done. Conor's grappling has been questioned no end since his UFC debut and will be until we see him in October when faced with Khabib. McGregor can be and has been taken down on occasion, most notably against the aforementioned Mendes, but showed a strong base and defence after Eddie Alvarez locked his hands against the fence in the second round of their clash. McGregor also displayed some much improved fundamentals against Nate Diaz is their rerun, until a trip in the final seconds of the bout had Conor on his back.
'The Notorious' one has worked alongside SBGi coach Sergey Pikulsky and Moldovan wrestler Kosti Gnusariov in preparation for Khabib, but undoubtedly the hope for the Irish camp is that Conor's wrestling is failed to be called upon.


McGregor's strengths are also as prevalent as Khabib's, interestingly though, Conor's puzzle has been solved on the brightest stage. After his initial Lightweight title tilt at UFC 196 with Rafael dos Anjos fell out, wily Cesar Gracie black belt Nate Diaz stepped in to create one of the most memorable rivalries in the sport's history. A Welterweight limit was set as McGregor jumped from Featherweight to 170lbs in just three months. Entering as a favourite in the Vegas betting line, McGregor executed a volume and power heavy striking gameplan in the opening round, telegraphing a stiff lead uppercut as he looked to dispatch Cali's own inside the five minute mark.

The abnormal mass gain paid huge dividends as McGregor returned to and from his stool before the second round, breathing heavily before assuring Nate and maybe himself, "I can go all day". A bloodied Nate continued to march through Conor's heaviest shots and began finding his range with a long jab and precise straight, almost dropping McGregor on one occasion. McGregor was slowing down rapidly and ate another stinging shot, shooting for a frail double leg, which Diaz easily stuffed. Diaz mounted after Conor slipped out of a guillotine and began raining down strikes, forcing McGregor to give up his back. Nate a choke specialist, slapped on a vice like rear-naked choke earning a shock submission victory over the Dubliner.

To get a real indicator of Conor's tremendous counter striking ability and distance control, you have to look back on two fights in particular, firstly his record setting win over José Aldo, and arguably his most impressive display inside the octagon, against Eddie Alvarez.


Although Aldo vs. McGregor only lasted a mere thirteen seconds, the single shot landed by Conor to switch off José was one of the most precise examples of counter striking we've seen. The Brazilian striker was so emotionally invested in taking his tormentor of almost six months head off, he walked straight onto a stiff left hand after Conor slipped to his left to avoid the pace pushing Manaus native. Aldo steamed forward with his chin exposed and paid the ultimate price for it, something Khabib must keep in mind when trying to close that distance and mitigate Conor's four inch reach advantage.


Eddie Alvarez presented a complex and well rounded puzzle for the Crumlin favourite to solve, a naturally technical wrestling base and an evolved boxing style recently honed by Mark Henry. Eddie's tendency to feint often and exaggerated, left him open to a counter from McGregor, something he witnessed just after the opening minute mark. Leading with a untimely jab attempt, McGregor slipped to his left and countered with a right followed by a swift left hand, planting Eddie hard to the canvas. Unable to capitalize on that knockdown, Conor scored two more before the buzzer, catching Eddie entering recklessly again, before putting a slick jab-straight combination on the Philadelphia native's chin. More impressive than his eventual slaying of 'The Underground King' in the second round in my opinion, was a notable counter early in the round. Eddie was forced to close the distance once again, and in a prime example of Conor's expert distance control and precision, moved just out of range before leaping back in with an almost karate blitz to land twice on Alvarez.


Important to note, despite his unsuccessful quest to hand Floyd Mayweather his premier career defeat, McGregor focused solely on sharpening his boxing in preparation for their August 2017 clash. After the twelve round bout was confirmed in mid June, McGregor was warranted almost 10 weeks of solid boxing work, something that is sure to translate to the Octagon. Conor brought in world champion Paulie Malignaggi, rather controversially as a sparring partner and South Africa's Chris Van Heerdan also had some choice words for McGregor's ability or lack there of after their sparring sessions.

Keys To Success:

 Conor must at all costs avoid any clinch attempts from Khabib whether that be against the fence or in the centre of the Octagon.
Utilise his entire four inch reach advantage over Khabib in order to strike from a safe distance in which Khabib can't initiate a takedown attempt.
Execute a similar lead uppercut that he landed against Nate Diaz upon Khabib's entry for a low ankle pick or single leg setup.

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  1. David Marchal2 October 2018 at 06:19

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