I respect him as a fighter and think that he is pretty solid but I just don't enjoy his fighting style. I think he does just enough to win the fight but that's about it. He edges out opponents to questionable split decisions, but will always be at the top of the division.
Josh Thompson said that it felt like he was tapping him with punches and that he didn't feel any of his strikes, which I believe. It always seemed like he was holding back on his strikes so he could be the first one to make contact and conserve energy, but I chalked it up to my hatred for his style.
Don't get me wrong, I think he is a excellent fighter, just not someone I enjoy watching and would like to see him lose this upcoming fight but that is a huge task for an untested Khabilov. There's a reason why Benson is always on Fight Nights when he isn't fighting for a title and it is because he's boring to watch.