Best suffocating wrestler-grappler: Merab vs Khabib vs Chimaev vs others?

[Thepaintbucket]

Kinda weird to put Islam on here OP. It's not even his style .

Fighters like Usman , Colby and Merab all had a restless chain wrestling style but their threat was minimal in a manner of speaking. Id put Chael on that list too.

Fighters like Khabib and Cain were terrifying top control wrestlers. They won't give you any room to breathe and they will beat you silly from round one to round five

 

[Paladin]

Who was the best ever suffocating grappler-wrestler with relentless pressure at their peak?

Candidates: obviously Merab, Chimaev, Khabib, also Islam, Usman, Colby, Cain, DC... maybe others?

Gregor Gilispe was a horrible nightmare if he got hold of you. He had Cardio for days, and really strong top game.
I was bummed he decided to leave. Fighter Kevin Lee made him reconsider his life choices.

 

[MarioLemieux]

Khabib and it's not even close.

I'd also like to give a shout out to a man who never got his respect in this regard, Brock, as at least an honourable mention. For all of his short comings his top control was crushing.

 

[blaseblase]

Khabib went 1/3 on TDs against 1 day notice Iaquinta in the 5th, after failing every TD and not grappling at all rounds 3-4, and then didn't finish him that 5th round.

But I'm the glazing retard for correctly pointing out it's making shit up to say Khabib had 5 rounds grappling stamina and finishing ability like was claimed.

Lol Khabib dominated Iaquinta in the 5th. Enjoy the dubs.

 

[MarioLemieux]

Lol Khabib dominated Iaquinta in the 5th. Enjoy the dubs.

It was a 10-8 round. The poster you're replying to has Proper 12 poisoning. Worst case I've seen.

 

[Gregoire1]

There are great level of competition disparity between Chimaev + Merab and Khabib. Chimaev ragdolled Usman, Merab ragdolled Cejudo - both great wrestlers themselves. Khabib fought only strikers. Best wrestler he faced - Tibau (gatekeeper), he arguably lost.

 

[blaseblase]

It was a 10-8 round. The poster you're replying to has Proper 12 poisoning. Worst case I've seen.

He's a weird dude, always saying ridiculous things, nuthugging his favorite fighters and mirroring whatever Dana's opinion is. Surprised his account has lasted this long.

I'm kind of curious to know what side he took back in 2022 during the Jones and Dana feud because he constantly nuthugs both of them.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Kinda weird to put Islam on here OP. It's not even his style .

Fighters like Usman , Colby and Merab all had a restless chain wrestling style but their threat was minimal in a manner of speaking. Id put Chael on that list too.

Fighters like Khabib and Cain were terrifying top control wrestlers. They won't give you any room to breathe and they will beat you silly from round one to round five

People still in the mindset that Khabib = Islam.

 

[MarioLemieux]

There are great level of competition disparity between Chimaev + Merab and Khabib. Chimaev ragdolled Usman, Merab ragdolled Cejudo - both great wrestlers themselves. Khabib fought only strikers. Best wrestler he faced - Tibau (gatekeeper), he arguably lost.

Tibau has some of the best tdd in UFC history, statistically speaking, and had 10 pounds of juice on a green Khabib.

Chimaev arguably lost to Gilbert Burns (LW) and could do nothing with his TD's and has one round of cardio.

Merab's grappling is limited to pushing people and has no threat of submission or GNP whatsoever. He was also subbed and actually lost for real not in your imagination.

 

[nostradumbass]

Khabib by a wide margin. Khamzat isn't relentless pressure, he's the most dangerous early then drops way off if you can weather the storm. Islam is a very good grappler, but if he misses a TD he'll usually give it up for a while and strike. Usman gives space too. Not really sure where Merab fits in because his style is suffocating, but he has the record for most failed TDs and doesn't do much damage if even when he gets guys down and generally just gets 10-9 rounds. Guys look frustrated fighitng Merab, but Khabib battered guys on the ground and they'd walk back to their corner after getting 10-8'd with a look like "oh God, it's even worse than I thought".

 

[chinarice]

Khabib would outgrapple everyone he went against.

Khamzat didn't want any of Burns BJJ and Merab has been subbed before.

He didn't outgrapple Tibau at all. He was completely nullified and taken down himself.

Who the hell did Khabib fight that is near Burns' level on the ground that was actually a good fighter?? Is the answer no one? Yeah, it's no one.

 

[usernamee]

Of the three, Merab probably has the best stamina ... BUT ... the least threat.

Khamzat has perhaps the most threat, but the least stamina.

Khabib = the greatest stamina PLUS THREAT, for all 5 rounds.

Khabib = THE GREATEST, SUFFOCATING GRAPPLER

not quite 5 rounds tho right

did he ever dominate 5 rounds fully like that?

he usually had to take at least one round off and just skate

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

not quite 5 rounds tho right

did he ever dominate 5 rounds fully like that?

he usually had to take at least one round off and just skate

Usually?

How many 5-round decision fights did Khabib have?

The truth is, Khabib usually finished his 5-round fights within that time, underscoring my point.

Those few Khabib 5-round fights, that actually went the distance, he was putting on relentless pressure in the fifth round — not fading at all — while his opponent was fading.

Khabib has never been the one "wilting" at the end of the fight; he has always been the one coming on strong.

If you're talking the Conor fight; Ray Charles could see that Khabib was trying to knock Conor out, in a fist-fight, in the 3rd Round. (In fact, if you know your pre-fight buildup, Khabib literally said, "Conor is only dangerous for 2 rounds, and I intend to knock him out after that."

Khabib tried in Round 3, and I thought he won it, but he went back to grappling in Round 4 and got the finish.

Khabib has never had to "take off" any round, and in fact always increases the pressure.

Especially the fully-mature Khabib.

 

[Dana's Moonface]

Of the three, Merab probably has the best stamina ... BUT ... the least threat.

Khamzat has perhaps the most threat, but the least stamina.

Khabib = the greatest stamina PLUS THREAT, for all 5 rounds.

Khabib = THE GREATEST, SUFFOCATING GRAPPLER

My thoughts exactly

 

[Bouboumaster]

GOAT St-Pierre

 

[markg171]

Lol Khabib dominated Iaquinta in the 5th. Enjoy the dubs.

And this is about responding people making ridiculous claims like Khabib could dominate for all 5 rounds of grappling + finish across all 5 of them.

Khabib didn't grapple for all 5 rounds with Al and he also didn't finish Al in the 5th. He didn't do it to anybody either and has never once done that claim. They're wrong.

It's not my fault you guys are throwing out completely wrong information because of your man crushes for Khabib. Feel free to say you think Khabib was the best REGARDLESS of how long the fight went as he didn't need 5 rounds. Don't say objectively wrong shit like he's ever done 5 rounds of grappling or gotten a 5th round finish when he never did.

The sad part of you Khabib lovers is Islam in his last fight actually did that claim. He grappled for all 5 rounds and finished Poirier in the 5th with his grappling. And yet you're instead out here re-writing history for Khabib claiming he's the one who did it.

Sad.