What should be a gameplan for Poirier to beat Khabib?

[PalmStrike]

Childish fire !

 

[K-Bag]

Punch him in the face.

 

[pick999]

Eye pokes

 

[ZOD66]

Stuff his take downs and put hands to his face. Easy

Poirier will gas out

 

[Brit_Brawler]

He's not. The problem is that the window Khabib provides a striker to hurt him is very small and the only way to extend that window is to have elite wrestling. If you don't have elite wrestling, you're going to spend the early rounds on your back getting smothered and in the later rounds, regardless of whether Khabib decides to take you down or not, you simply won't have the same punching power you had in the early rounds and Khabib has that neanderthal-tier chin. It is important to be a good wrestler against Khabib not only because it will allow you to stop some takedowns and make Khabib work harder, but also because being a good wrestler will condition you better for a gruelling wrestlefuck and will allow you to transfer your punching power into the later rounds much better.

TL;DR: yes, the only way to beat Khabib is to be an elite wrestler.

How the hell does that make any sense, Khabib finished Conor and Johnson, two strikers who destroyed Poirier in the first round. You can't possibly think that Poirier is a better striker than them, and he clearly doesn't have a better TDD either. Also Barboza is a top striker with solid TDD, and it didn't help him at all.

Talk about mma math at its finest.
Johnson is not a better striker than Dustin. Shit happens. I wouldn't pick Johnson in a rematch at all.

 

[Brit_Brawler]

Remind me of all the times (especially recently) that Khabib has been beaten on the feet...I'll wait.

I love how all the shertards keep pretending like Khabib always loses the standup.

Wtf have you people been watching??

Khabib wins the standup because his opponents are so terrified of being taken down and smeshed. While they worry about the TD, Khabib easily pieces them up, and it then opens up the TD again...

...it's a vicious cycle. And it's why undefeated Khabib beats everyone.

I agree with you on most things. You are correct but his striking is basic and its feasible he is caught sooner or later. Dustin is more than capable.

Cain was a similar way, beating up better strikers such as jds due to the threat of the takedown.

I suppose what you just described tells us the perfect type of fighter to best khabib is in fact a world class elite BJJ guy with serviceable/ decent striking like werdum was for cain.

Werdum had absolutely no fear of the take down and peiced cain up.

But then we have the other example how a less well rounded fighter with one danger area can still win, like ngannou beat cain.

Everyone is only human, khabib can be hurt and beat up

 

[theTKDguy]

Punch him in the face

 

[gevoudane]

Hopefully a quick flash KO in the first minute.

 

[IBeLurkin]

I agree with you on most things. You are correct but his striking is basic and its feasible he is caught sooner or later. Dustin is more than capable.

Cain was a similar way, beating up better strikers such as jds due to the threat of the takedown.

I suppose what you just described tells us the perfect type of fighter to best khabib is in fact a world class elite BJJ guy with serviceable/ decent striking like werdum was for cain.

Werdum had absolutely no fear of the take down and peiced cain up.

But then we have the other example how a less well rounded fighter with one danger area can still win, like ngannou beat cain.

Everyone is only human, khabib can be hurt and beat up

I wanted to argue with you, but you're completely right.

A LW version of Werdum seems like the best matchup to beat Khabib. I just can't think of anyone like that at the time being....maybe Ortega improves his standup and moves up?

Given the current contenders, I don't see Khabib losing outside of a flash KO though.