I can't be the only one who thinks Khabib Vs Tony is a bit of a mismatch

[cheesus]

I agree that Tony is outmatched but on paper he has more tools than any of Khabibs other opponents, Tony may be the only one who can match Khabibs pace and his style is very unorthodox and hard to mimick. He throws things other do not see coming, that said...I still think Khabib is too much for him.

 

[JarlSkuld]

I see it completely opposite of the OP. Ferg throws a lot - A LOT - and connects a lot. Even top-level strikers like Pettis and Cerrone were like punching bags moving underwater versus Tony. Khabib's head is big and not nearly as mobile as the last two fighters I mentioned. I think Tony will connect with Khabib's face often and from a multitude of angles and each time he'll tear flesh and draw blood. In the end, Khabib will go into panic-wrestler mode and dive for takedowns...but it'll be too late. Tony Ferguson by 2nd or 3rd round TKO.

Jarl

 

[Leoooo]

Well and I think a lot of fans are overestimating Khabibs chances of beating Tony because they've bought into the idea that Khabib is some super human who smeshes everything and everyone that is put in front of him with ease.

This!
People have short term memory. He’s only looked beastly against MJ (everyone does lately), Barboza (look at what Kevin Lee did. He did a way better job, so people claiming Khabib wins because Lee took him down, well Lee best up Barboza worse than Khabib, so ..), and coked up Conor with a 2 year layoff.
Most of his other fights were meh. Khabib is a boring decision machine who lays on strikers and FW’s.
the only good grappler he ever faced took him down whereas Khabib didn’t take him down.
Khabib is super talented but he's also made a career out of beating nobodies on losing streaks (pre ufc) and strikers with no ground game (ufc) ...

It’s gonna be a war. Khabib’s pressure, top control and lack of stamina vs. Tony’s reckless style, elbows and subs from below and insane gas tank.
The safe money is on Khabib, but it’s by no means a lock. It’s extremely close on paper.

 

[AP_RESURRECTION]

The route is clear for Tony here.

He will have to catch Khabib with something. Khabib will control him and dominate for most of the fight and it will largely take place on the ground.

But here is the thing. Ferg is the best in the world at exactly that type of fight. He can weather adversity like noone else and create and find odd openings from any position. That's the factor that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole fight.

Chances are Khabib dominates for five rounds, possibly a late sub. But Ferg can catch Khabib with anything, subs or strikes any second of the fight.

Can't wait. Fingers crossed.

Yea, if all goes well, Khabib likely wins a decision. If he puts Tony away, that would be surprising/impressive to most people given how tough Tony is.

But, there is 25 minutes for Tony to get a bit of an advantage and maybe even find himself in a position where he has better cardio than Khabib and pushes the pace, landing punches and sprawling effectively. He can land a lot of punches and get a finish or win a 10-8 round in my opinion.

 

[Silverstar17]

Yea, if all goes well, Khabib likely wins a decision. If he puts Tony away, that would be surprising/impressive to most people given how tough Tony is.

But, there is 25 minutes for Tony to get a bit of an advantage and maybe even find himself in a position where he has better cardio than Khabib and pushes the pace, landing punches and sprawling effectively. He can land a lot of punches and get a finish or win a 10-8 round in my opinion.

Khabib can't afford to slow down at any point, that's for sure. If Tony senses a weakness he will go for it.

 

[Ladder Master]

Tony is one of the approximately 2-3 people on earth that could beat Khabib right now and you
are calling it a mismatch?

 

[chiefwiggum]

If that’s a mismatch there is no one worthy of sharing the octagon with khabib.

 

[chiefwiggum]

I wonder if the opposing team sends guys in to check the hand wraps of their opponent . ( I would think they obviously do)

tony doesn’t look like he has a lot of power but he does damage like he’s swinging 2 cinder blocks.

 

[tramendous]

Now it is the most hyped fighted in MMA history. It's a fight between two fighters each on 12 fight winning streaks which has probably never happened ever! I get all of that but in reality, or at least on paper, it's probably not even going to be Khabib's hardest fight so far. This is why:


STANDING UP

- Tony gets taken down relatively easily and will almost invite takedowns in order to play into his dangerous bottom game.

- Tony doesn't have the 1 shot KO power required to put Khabib out early. Khabib might take some shots in the first round but he will have plenty of chances to keep trying to take Tony down and he can actually be more aggressive in the striking because Tony isn't really a sniper either. Tony is also fairly hittable and Khabib hits hard. The takedown down threat will make him even more hittable.

ON THE GROUND

- I understand that Tony is very dangerous off his back and he's good with elbows too but he's only really effective when he's inside the guard. Khabib doesn't play around in anyone's guard and he won't be in any position for Tony to effectively elbow or attack with submissions. He'll have Tony against the fence with his legs trapped and his wrist controlled. Or he'll stack Tony in his guard with his legs crossed and land heavy blows from a standing position. He also stands up in people's half guard to do his ground and pound. Tony's guard isn't exactly impossible to pass either.

- Kevin Lee had him in full mount and Danny Castillo arguably won their fight using grappling. If Khabib has him in full mount, he is trapping one of Tony's arms first before smashing him. Khabib also isn't gassing like Kevin Lee.

- Tony's glass tank is the best in the UFC imo (not just P4P) but how good will it be after 2 or 3 rounds of repeated smeshing. Tony gets chaotic and frantic when he's in bad situations like when he was flailing his arms all over the place when Kevin Lee was hitting him from full mount. Or when Pettis dropped him and he was spinning like he's in a washing machine. I can imagine him wasting his energy (yes it's actually possible, he's a human being) when Khabib has him in horrific positions which he'll achieve relatively easily.


Tony is an awesome fighter and the 2nd best lightweight ever but I've got to be honest. I think a lot of fans are inflating his chances and his abilities in general because they've bought in to this idea that Tony Ferguson is some super human whose gas tank literally does not run out or he gets dropped as part of his strategy. Or that he's the type of guy to beat Khabib off his back whilst talking to him.

Long story short, I think people have taken the 'Tony is the type of guy' joke too far and now they really see him that way.

As someone rooting for khabib (i like tony too) the only thing i can see that is worrying is khabib shooting and tony managing to finish a guillotine choke. In my opinion its the punchers chance of submissions lol

 

[WHITE ANDERSON]

i think you are right that this should be one of khabib's easiest fights. tony has no takedown defense and khabib is too good from the top to get subbed in some flat earther BJJ shit.

BUT something you're not considering is that tony is very good at using dirty tactics to turn the fight in his favor. he eyepoked RDA when he was losing and he punched cerrone after the bell to get the stoppage. i think it's possibe that tony will do something ridiculous like this, maybe even try to do something gay during the fight or rub himself in bacon grease before the fight so that he can do things that are forbidden by khabib's religion and get the psychological advantage. i mean tony is the kind of guy who thinks his son is the second coming of jesus -- he literally thought his baby was the christian messiah and nearly killed his wife. that's some next level jesus freak shit

 

[Bearknuckle]

Tony via Wing Chun

 

[tramendous]

Tony is good on the ground, but Khabib is way better.
Khabib is solid in the stand-up, but Tony is way better.
I see this as a TKO for Tony or TKO for Khabib, but it is really 50-50, Tony has to defend takedowns well or he'll probably lose. Otherwise, Khabib is going to lose, his overhand right is useless against Tony because he is right-handed.

I agree that tony is much better standing but the guy gets hit way too much. An overhand right will most likely connect several times in this fight. How significant they will be remains to be seen.

 

[SKITZADACTYL]

nah you're definitely not the only stupid MMA fan.

 

[TheToqueville]

The route is clear for Tony here.

He will have to catch Khabib with something. Khabib will control him and dominate for most of the fight and it will largely take place on the ground.

But here is the thing. Ferg is the best in the world at exactly that type of fight. He can weather adversity like noone else and create and find odd openings from any position. That's the factor that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole fight.

Chances are Khabib dominates for five rounds, possibly a late sub. But Ferg can catch Khabib with anything, subs or strikes any second of the fight.

Can't wait. Fingers crossed.

This man nailed it. Khabib is rightfully favored, but by no means a clear cut win.

 

[JustBleed69]

Now it is the most hyped fighted in MMA history. It's a fight between two fighters each on 12 fight winning streaks which has probably never happened ever! I get all of that but in reality, or at least on paper, it's probably not even going to be Khabib's hardest fight so far. This is why:


STANDING UP

- Tony gets taken down relatively easily and will almost invite takedowns in order to play into his dangerous bottom game.

- Tony doesn't have the 1 shot KO power required to put Khabib out early. Khabib might take some shots in the first round but he will have plenty of chances to keep trying to take Tony down and he can actually be more aggressive in the striking because Tony isn't really a sniper either. Tony is also fairly hittable and Khabib hits hard. The takedown down threat will make him even more hittable.

ON THE GROUND

- I understand that Tony is very dangerous off his back and he's good with elbows too but he's only really effective when he's inside the guard. Khabib doesn't play around in anyone's guard and he won't be in any position for Tony to effectively elbow or attack with submissions. He'll have Tony against the fence with his legs trapped and his wrist controlled. Or he'll stack Tony in his guard with his legs crossed and land heavy blows from a standing position. He also stands up in people's half guard to do his ground and pound. Tony's guard isn't exactly impossible to pass either.

- Kevin Lee had him in full mount and Danny Castillo arguably won their fight using grappling. If Khabib has him in full mount, he is trapping one of Tony's arms first before smashing him. Khabib also isn't gassing like Kevin Lee.

- Tony's glass tank is the best in the UFC imo (not just P4P) but how good will it be after 2 or 3 rounds of repeated smeshing. Tony gets chaotic and frantic when he's in bad situations like when he was flailing his arms all over the place when Kevin Lee was hitting him from full mount. Or when Pettis dropped him and he was spinning like he's in a washing machine. I can imagine him wasting his energy (yes it's actually possible, he's a human being) when Khabib has him in horrific positions which he'll achieve relatively easily.


Tony is an awesome fighter and the 2nd best lightweight ever but I've got to be honest. I think a lot of fans are inflating his chances and his abilities in general because they've bought in to this idea that Tony Ferguson is some super human whose gas tank literally does not run out or he gets dropped as part of his strategy. Or that he's the type of guy to beat Khabib off his back whilst talking to him.

Long story short, I think people have taken the 'Tony is the type of guy' joke too far and now they really see him that way.

It might end up being a dominant win for Khabib, however it is in no way a mismatch. These two dudes are on a collision course, destined to cross paths. It's been 4 cancellations over the course of years now and neither of these men have lost on the way here.

 

[tramendous]

As one of the biggest Khabib fans around here. Here's what I got for you:

Stand up: I believe Tony outstrikes Khabib. He has a freakishly long reach for LW division. He also throws a lot of spinning shit, awkward shit from crazy angles as well as elbows. He is in my opinion technically a more sound striker than Beeb.

I disagree with Khabib being a hard puncher. The haymaker he landed against Conor was beautiful, but this has so far been the first and last time we've seen something like that from him.

He won't be able to jab Ferg like he did AI due to Fergusons freakishly long reach, Ferg will outjab him at distance. Khabib will need to close the distance and get a hold of Ferg and clinch him up or go for a TD. Ferguson will be able to land elbows and spinning shit when Khabib is coming in.

One advantage Khabib has over Ferguson in the stand up department is better chin. Khabib's father pointed out several times in interviews that Khabib might be able to trade with Ferg and drop him first. This might work and would be very impressive if Khabib decided to do that.

Ground: Khabib dominates and controls him here. I don't believe in that "elbows from bottom" BS. He won't be able to land many of those with Khabibs level of top control. Sure he might land some, but those won't do the damage needed to beat Khabib and will not be the deciding factor in this fight. I do however believe Ferg might catch him with submissions, so Khabib will need to be careful. The chances of this are slim though.

Khabib will highly likely get him down, control him and pound his face into Bolivia though.

Conclusion:
Those people saying Ferguson should invite Khabib to take him down and not try to get up are delusional. Fergs best shot at winning this fight is not getting taken down, keep back of the fence, keep distance and outstrike Khabib from range using his freakish reach advantage.

Timestamped


So no i think youre undersestimating khabib's punch power. Hes not dan henderson but he can hurt and drop/ko people standing.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Heres context.

The only actual metric about mis-match-ed-ness we have is odds.

And Khabib -225 is more lopsided than RDA v Chiesa and less lopsided than Blaydes v JDS.

Take it for what it’s worth.

 

[Mattitude V1]

Now it is the most hyped fighted in MMA history. It's a fight between two fighters each on 12 fight winning streaks which has probably never happened ever! I get all of that but in reality, or at least on paper, it's probably not even going to be Khabib's hardest fight so far. This is why:


STANDING UP

- Tony gets taken down relatively easily and will almost invite takedowns in order to play into his dangerous bottom game.

- Tony doesn't have the 1 shot KO power required to put Khabib out early. Khabib might take some shots in the first round but he will have plenty of chances to keep trying to take Tony down and he can actually be more aggressive in the striking because Tony isn't really a sniper either. Tony is also fairly hittable and Khabib hits hard. The takedown down threat will make him even more hittable.

ON THE GROUND

- I understand that Tony is very dangerous off his back and he's good with elbows too but he's only really effective when he's inside the guard. Khabib doesn't play around in anyone's guard and he won't be in any position for Tony to effectively elbow or attack with submissions. He'll have Tony against the fence with his legs trapped and his wrist controlled. Or he'll stack Tony in his guard with his legs crossed and land heavy blows from a standing position. He also stands up in people's half guard to do his ground and pound. Tony's guard isn't exactly impossible to pass either.

- Kevin Lee had him in full mount and Danny Castillo arguably won their fight using grappling. If Khabib has him in full mount, he is trapping one of Tony's arms first before smashing him. Khabib also isn't gassing like Kevin Lee.

- Tony's glass tank is the best in the UFC imo (not just P4P) but how good will it be after 2 or 3 rounds of repeated smeshing. Tony gets chaotic and frantic when he's in bad situations like when he was flailing his arms all over the place when Kevin Lee was hitting him from full mount. Or when Pettis dropped him and he was spinning like he's in a washing machine. I can imagine him wasting his energy (yes it's actually possible, he's a human being) when Khabib has him in horrific positions which he'll achieve relatively easily.


Tony is an awesome fighter and the 2nd best lightweight ever but I've got to be honest. I think a lot of fans are inflating his chances and his abilities in general because they've bought in to this idea that Tony Ferguson is some super human whose gas tank literally does not run out or he gets dropped as part of his strategy. Or that he's the type of guy to beat Khabib off his back whilst talking to him.

Long story short, I think people have taken the 'Tony is the type of guy' joke too far and now they really see him that way.

Can't wait until Khabib loses. Whenever there's a dominant grappler everyone freaks out and says "EVERYONE IS MISMATCHED, NO ONE CAN BEAT THEM!"

 

[shoorik1987]

Timestamped


So no i think youre undersestimating khabib's punch power. Hes not dan henderson but he can hurt and drop/ko people standing.

Those are 2 fights out of 12 UFC fights, wouldn't call it a tendency.

Khabib is no KO artist

 

[tramendous]

Those are 2 fights out of 12 UFC fights, wouldn't call it a tendency.

Khabib is no KO artist

I said hes no Dan Henderson. it was a response to you saying it was his first and only time. Which is clearly not his first and only time.