Khamzat is a monster but weight classes exist (...) vs Pereira

[WoozyFailGuy]

Not wrong in general. Both my MMA fights (forever ago, I'm old AF) were at 205 but more than a couple of times in grappling tourneys I had to compete at HW due to low turnout and not enough guys my actual size. And yeah, there's a big fucking difference trying to manipulate and move more weight. Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

That said, like you mentioned GSP---Khamzat looks like that generational type grappling talent. A guy who can absolutely walk into the cage at 203 on fight night vs a guy who walks in at 228 and still ragdoll him and show off absolutely dominant grappling skills. Especially with an opponent who's a kickboxer and simply doesn't have the time put in to be close to knowing how to counter that grappling.

How much time has Khamzat put into getting hit in the head with a cinderblock going Mach 2?

While anything can happen in MMA, acting as if fucking POATAN is a cake walk for any man on the planet is ludicrous. Acting as if he's a cakewalk for someone a division under him, no matter the "possible generational talent" is dumb. Especially if the other guy has been faceplanted by a sloppy striking LW BJJ guy.

When we talked about GSP vs Anderson, even the most diehard GSP fans wouldn't dare say Anderson would be a cakewalk, and that's the actual best grappler in MMA vs Anderson, whose main weakness was wrestling just like Poatan. Khamzat isn't GSP, at least not at this point of his career. Maybe one day, but for now, this entire discussion has only been good to expose a couple of non-trainers in this thread (not you, obviously).

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

Khamzat will not have trouble taking Pereira down. The only question is can he finish him before he tires out. Because if he tires out, Pereira will probably win.

I'd love to see it anyway. It's an intriguing fight.

If a tired Khamzat has to stand with Pereira, Pereira will definitely knock him the funk out.

 

[mkess101]

How much time has Khamzat put into getting hit in the head with a cinderblock going Mach 2?

Well that's the other side of it for sure. I think we all know that if the fight stays standing for any period of time, Khamzat is in real trouble.

Khamzat closes distance at a crazy speed and gets to pretty much everyone's hips. His shot is low and maybe the fastest I've seen (or right up there). And he doesn't wait, that shot is coming when the bell rings. So the question is whether Perreira can stop it. If he does (and stops the adjustment, re-shoot, etc) then Khamzat is pretty much fucked.

But if Khamzat gets Alex down, or even scrambling...it's likely the opposite. I don't think Alex will have any sort of answer at all on the mat. I could easily see him trying to scramble up and giving his back and getting choked out quickly.


So yeah it's one of those classic grappler vs striker matchups if it happens. And there's a size difference, but the cool thing is that it's the elite of the elite in each category which you don't get too often.

 

[NenadRS]

Just for reference, Khamzat is 98kg, or 216lbs here. Not far off Alex's weight, maybe 10lbs or so difference. But he fought at 185 recently, if he moves to 205, he can easily be relatively lean 220lb, with easy weight cut to 205.

Question is how much harder will it be to wrestle with 205lb guys, compared to 170/185

 

[Poatan Power]

Not wrong in general. Both my MMA fights (forever ago, I'm old AF) were at 205 but more than a couple of times in grappling tourneys I had to compete at HW due to low turnout and not enough guys my actual size. And yeah, there's a big fucking difference trying to manipulate and move more weight. Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

That said, like you mentioned GSP---Khamzat looks like that generational type grappling talent. A guy who can absolutely walk into the cage at 203 on fight night vs a guy who walks in at 228 and still ragdoll him and show off absolutely dominant grappling skills. Especially with an opponent who's a kickboxer and simply doesn't have the time put in to be close to knowing how to counter that grappling.

Yeah same. Competing at 208 in grappling vs 182 or 195 is ridiculous. I could ragdoll 182'ers and nobody I rolled with was physically stronger than me at 195 but my strength meant nothing at 208. It was just even at best and it made a huuuuge difference in how things played out. When you get to the highest levels like in the UFC I think even ounces can make a big difference if not equated with speed gains.

I don't doubt Khamzat is a generational grappler and that in a grappling match he'd have far more skills than Alex who got into it way later. But 25-30 lbs is pretty substantial and Alex, at his size, is a generational striker. Champ in 2 weight divisions in GLORY and UFC. In my humble opinion, having ~5 years to learn defensive grappling is enough to assert a striking differential like that, IMHO. It isn't as if Alex couldn't shut his lights off in one strike.

I get it it's all guesswork but if I had to choose I'd rather have the chance to choose Alex's skillset over Khamzat's in this hypothetical. Otherwise give me Khamzat's for staying in my weight class all day.

Just for reference, Khamzat is 98kg, or 216lbs here. Not far off Alex's weight, maybe 10lbs or so difference. But he fought at 185 recently, if he moves to 205, he can easily be relatively lean 220lb, with easy weight cut to 205.

Question is how much harder will it be to wrestle with 205lb guys, compared to 170/185

Yes, 98kg but dude wasn't in fight shape. In fight shape Khamzat should be in the 195-205 lb range, while Alex 225-230. Alex is a big, broad fuckin dude man

 

[mkess101]

Yeah same. Competing at 208 in grappling vs 182 or 195 is ridiculous. I could ragdoll 182'ers and nobody I rolled with was physically stronger than me at 195 but my strength meant nothing at 208. It was just even at best and it made a huuuuge difference in how things played out. When you get to the highest levels like in the UFC I think even ounces can make a big difference if not equated with speed gains.

I don't doubt Khamzat is a generational grappler and that in a grappling match he'd have far more skills than Alex who got into it way later. But 25-30 lbs is pretty substantial and Alex, at his size, is a generational striker. Champ in 2 weight divisions in GLORY and UFC. In my humble opinion, having ~5 years to learn defensive grappling is enough to assert a striking differential like that, IMHO. It isn't as if Alex couldn't shut his lights off in one strike.

I get it it's all guesswork but if I had to choose I'd rather have the chance to choose Alex's skillset over Khamzat's in this hypothetical. Otherwise give me Khamzat's for staying in my weight class all day.



Yes, 98kg but dude wasn't in fight shape. In fight shape Khamzat should be in the 195-205 lb range, while Alex 225-230. Alex is a big, broad fuckin dude man

I'd imagine Khamzat right near 205 if its at LHW. No cutting at all, but if he's below the limit it won't be by much at all.

Iirc yeah you're right on about Alex. Rehydrates ~20 lbs or so. Can't believe he made 185.

 

[usernamee]

Interestingly, the only fighters he's struggled with are Usman and Burns, both WWs

and he was still damn close to finishing both in the 1st round haha

 

[fightfan70]

Khamzat also got hit by Usman and Gilbert.

and he got hit alot by them

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

Just for reference, Khamzat is 98kg, or 216lbs here. Not far off Alex's weight, maybe 10lbs or so difference. But he fought at 185 recently, if he moves to 205, he can easily be relatively lean 220lb, with easy weight cut to 205.

Question is how much harder will it be to wrestle with 205lb guys, compared to 170/185

How do you think Arman Tsarukyan would fare against Alex Pereira?

No draw, flatline KO for Pereira

 

[ElLunico]

Pereira is big but he isn't Aspinall big or those natural HW's. The guy was a MW for a while. He'd look like James Toney against Randy Couture against Khamzat.

If you think Khamzat doesn't choke Pereira out in the 1st round you're clearly not knowledgeable about the sport.

 

[Harlekin]

He had closes fights against grapplers and before he even started training with Saitiev.
Holland has better grappling than Pereira and he got destroyed in a round.

Hollang switches between WW and MW and Pereira is like the biggest middleweight out there. He has like 15 pounds on Holland.
Khamzat still grapples him, if he doesn't get knocked out.

 

[r-harper-1]

I’d pick Chimaev

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

People seem to think Khamzat has as bad of a gas tank as Conor, yet his best wins are by decision. It's strange how people think he gasses after the 1st round and stands there like a punching bag the rest of the fight. You can watch his long grappling sessions or even watch Burns fight where he throws haymakers for 3 rounds, with the biggest output in last round. Not only that, he could do what he did to Whittaker for 5 rounds easy.

exactly, people ignore that whittaker was carrying khamzat's weight the whole round, that wasn't even particularly tiring for khamzat, I see him doing that for 5 rounds to rob, maybe not as fast of a intiial takedown in round 2-5 but dominating him on the ground and controlling him? 100%

 

[Bend NvR Break]

UFC needs more open weight fights imo.

 

[Tweak896]

exactly, people ignore that whittaker was carrying khamzat's weight the whole round, that wasn't even particularly tiring for khamzat, I see him doing that for 5 rounds to rob, maybe not as fast of a intiial takedown in round 2-5 but dominating him on the ground and controlling him? 100%

Exactly. This isn't Mark Coleman who has so much roids running through a 40 yr old body he only has 1 round of gas. The opponent gets worn down from it as well. I don't think anyone is gonna get steamrolled by Khamzat, then have their way the next 4 rounds.

 

[cold_spring_harbor]

Let's add a little more variety.

6 selected UFC fighters and 2 outsiders from another MMA org, kickboxing, TV, or whatever.

Winner has to box Jake Paul for 12 1 minute rounds