Media Eddie Alvarez on Khabib and Islany

[moosaev]

Dude was spot on. Pretty underrated fight analysis

He gave his opinion on the fight AFTER the fight, of course it was spot on lol.

 

[Neck&Neck]

I think that's one of the ring girls

The Muslim Arianny

 

[humdizzle]

he was ok as a fighter. he got lucky on his title path to RDA. Almost a bisping type of story.

i will never forgive him for completely shitting himself during the conor fight.

 

[SuperAlly]

I don't really agree. He was undefeated but never close to unbeatable. That said, I think he was really ahead of his time and I've stated this a lot, nowadays we're seeing prospects who began amateur at 14-16 pretty regularly and go pro at 18. Khabib was winning Pankration championships, hand to hand combat tournaments, Sambo championships all as a teen and young adult. He wa doing wrestling at a very young age and similar to how Lomachenkos father thought him diversifying while young would help him further develop, Abdulmanap had Khabib go into Judo and other things as well. Khabib was training at a world class level to be a champion since his middle school years and was coming up with guys and cross training with guys who would come to be champions in mma and sambo and Olympians even before he did. Do I think a young Michael Chandler would have seriously given him fits? Yup, until Chandler gassed in said hypothetical fight, I think he'd have really been issues for Khabib...maybe less for Islam because Chandlers style plays into the cleaner technical striking and counter striker game of Islam. Do I think guys like Vartanyan would give Islam or Khabib trouble? Yeah but...very few guys. They were and still kinda are way ahead of the game.

But now we are seeing guys decode things, prepare more thoroughly, have their own pedigree. Joshua Van said "I didn't start competing until 18 in MMA, I started late" 10 years ago if someone began at 18 Rogan woulda raved about it. You have guys like Rei Tsuruya who was a Junior Olympian in Greco and Competing in BJJ, while also having his amateur MMA debut at 15. It's going to take generations of that kind of dedication from combat athletes to stack up consistently vs these guys, because that's the level many of them were on and from such young ages under Abdulmanap. It'll be fun to see the clashes and further development.

I mean, that's cool you dont agree.

But the evidence suggests you are wrong.

 

[SuperAlly]

volk would fear the takedown much much more vs khabib. because khabibs top game is much more suffocating and his ground and pound more relentless than islam. so volk would be more weary of freely striking against khabib.

how world class volk may have been....against Islam it showed that he wasnt a better striker than Islam. Islam was definately the better striker so I dont think Volk is a good answer to the puzzle at all

Wary not weary.

He's not tired. He's showing caution.

 

[DrTrouble]

They like to be all the way out or all the way in. Adbulmanap used to tell them to never exchange basically, that if they can avoid exchanging standing they mitigate most of the risk that they may lose. They aren't unbeatable, Khabib wasn't unbeatable, or anywhere close to it but they do bring some incredible intangibles to the table in that their physicality and conditioning are incredibly world class. That said, imagine if Volk was anywhere near Islams size? He'd probably be able to beat Khabib and Islam, because he also had world class conditioning and physicality, high fight IQ, very strong defensive wrestling and superior striking. But they are great at keeping guys off their game and avoiding adversity altogether. It's why say, Umar vs Merab is so exciting potentially, as we rarely see someone able or willing to impose on them they way Merab would try to and has the skillsets to do so. Or Leon vs Islam, because Leon has the length and size to where Islam will be forced to exchange to close distance and grappling or even just come into range and Leon also has that world class physicality and conditioning...and quality defensive wrestling. Almost none of Islam or Khabibs opponents had the conditioning, the physicality, the defensive wrestling and up to par striking to give them difficulties but...once you have those tools, there is holes in their style and ways to break it down.

Looks like Amru Magomedov is getting signed later this year from their Gym, he strikes me every bit as talented as Usman Nurmagomedov so far. And Usman will likely try to come over to the UFC once Islam leaves 155. Maybe they will sign Renat Khavalov too. I like having a puzzle to solve and having guys so great as these Dagestanis that force the level of athlete and technical abilities to be higher at the top than they are. It's great for the sport, doesn't matter where you land on which side.

So who was unbeatable? Basically you're saying if a fighter had better everything than his opponent the he will beat his opponent. I mean that doesn't sound like any kind of revelation.

at the time, no one khabib fought had all the intangibles to beat him.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Eddie knows his stuff. One of the best LWs in MMA history and doesn't get the credit he deserves cause he joined the UFC towards the end of his prime.

 

[Mammothman]

how did get destroyed by conor that bad. the whole fight was a highlight reel

He was never that good.

 

[Mammothman]

Both Khabib and Islam would easily destroy Eddie "Lucky" Alvarez.

 

[Mammothman]

he was ok as a fighter. he got lucky on his title path to RDA. Almost a bisping type of story.

i will never forgive him for completely shitting himself during the conor fight.

100% agree, people act like he is some kind of mythical beast, Eddie on his prime got punked by Cerrone ffs.

 

[RichardHarrow]

We'll see if that rings true for Pareira vs Ankalaev, assuming Ankalaev decides to wrestle early.

I don't hold Ankalaev to the same standard tbh. What complements Islam/Khabib's skills are their fight IQ which Ankalaev lacks.