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His first takedown attempt was successful against Conor, and Khabib won the first round after taking down Conor and controling him on the ground, Conor couldn't get up. Against Gaethje, he only could take Gaethje down at the end of the round, he failed in his first and second try. The stats doesn't tell you Khabib's second failed takedown attempt against Gaethje, but it was there. Khabib also knew he couldn't take Gaethje easily, which is why he searched a safe takedown and pressured Gaethje instead, unlike against Conor, where he knew he could take him down whenever he wanted which is why he fought defensively by keeping his distance, not giving any chance to Conor to strike.
In the second round, Khabib took Conor down in his first try, he lifted Conor and slammed him into the ground;
Then smashed Conor on the ground, Conor couldn't get up. Before that, while on standing Khabib rocked Conor's head and knocked him down (he never knockdown Poirier or Gaethje), because Conor was too afraid of Khabib's takedowns, Gaethje wasn't scared like Conor on standing, thus Khabib couldn't land a big punch like that, instead Khabib pressured Gaetje with jabs.
In the third round, this is where all those ''defended takedowns'' (4 of them) happened, or it happened because Khabib allowed Conor to defend it? Khabib wasn't pushing any takedown in this round, he let Conor to defend it, all Khabib was doing is getting close via clinches so he can strike Conor on standing. Khabib wanted Conor to be scared of his takedowns again so he can strike him on standing, Khabib didn't really want to takedown Conor in the third round, and this is the round where all of those defended takedowns happened. He would take him down if he wanted, but he didn't want that in third round.
In the fourth round, Khabib took down Conor in his first try, and finished him.
In the end, Conor only defended 4 takedowns in the third round, because Khabib let him. In every other round, Khabib took Conor down in his first try.
Poirier actually did something on the ground, he used guillotine which Khabib had to work a little to beat it.
Conor didn't have that. Khabib also knew he couldn't take Gaethje easily like he could take Conor, which why he pressured him unlike he pressured Conor. And as I said, Khabib never scored a knockdown against Gaethje and Poirier, because they weren't afraid like Conor.
In the end, Conor was easier fight than Poirier and Gaethje.
