Will Gaethje's lack of ground game get exploited in future fights?

[Grapplefest]

Gaethje's TDD is good enough to keep the fight standing against every other LW. Khabib is just on another level and it's insulting to him to say people are just gonna take Gaethje down and choke him out like it's that easy.

 

[dc007]

Khabib is one of the few that can take him down at LW so people will try but it wont be as easy as Khabib made it.

 

[AJ Garcia]

Did his sub defence really look that bad though? Khabib is a great grappler, feels like you're taking away a great win from the Goat Khabib

Yes it did. He literally did nothing to try to prevent Khabib from getting to mount. Didn’t put a knee up or anything and didn’t stop that arm bar from being set up. I know Khabib is great and can even submit good grapplers but Justin didn’t do anything he should’ve to try to stop any of that from happening. Luckily for him there’s no one else like Khabib who can get him in positions like that. His wrestling is good enough to stop other people from keeping him on his back.

 

[Black Blood]

The problem with Khabib getting on top of you is that you've lost the round unless you do something quick. This can cause even normally calm fighters to panic. Same thing happened when Shogun fought Sonnen.

 

[TerrorTimmy]

He showed good TDD but Khabib still took advantage of the position even after being stuffed. I don't think a lot of fighters can do that.

 

[TerrorTimmy]

I think they'll try but they won't have success. Getting Gaethje down is very hard many have tried but most fail. I know Khabib made it look easy but that's Khabib I don't think anybody will have the success he had against Gaethje

This is a great sprawl from Gaethje.

From stuffed TD to mount in 4 seconds.

Unreal. Unmatched.

 

[PunchyMcSplodo]

I think Gregor Gillespie could do it.

I agree he'd have the best chance, but he ain't in the LW elite, yet. He got finished in Round 1 by the likes of Kevin Lee, so I'm not sure he can climb to the top before Justin has another 5 wars.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Looked like a fish out of water on the ground and his submission defense was complete trash, lmao too bad for Tony because he very well could have pulled a sub on him too if he got him on the ground.

If he faces this man next


You better believe hes getting tapped

 

[JosephTessaro]

Justin's wrestling is too good for anyone else in the LW elite to exploit his mediocre BJJ defense. Maybe they can sub him if he's dropped or wobbled, but if Dustin and Eddie couldn't take him down, Tony and Conor certainly won't.

Justin beat the crap out of Tony, I don't see them rematching anytime soon.

 

[Gamer2k4]

I think they'll try but they won't have success. Getting Gaethje down is very hard many have tried but most fail. I know Khabib made it look easy but that's Khabib I don't think anybody will have the success he had against Gaethje

This is a great sprawl from Gaethje.

It was a sprawl, but it was far from a great sprawl. Khabib's base was just fine (rather than collapsed, as it would have been by an effective sprawl), and Gaethje couldn't get his hips away. Heck, by the time he's even starting to get his weight back, Khabib already has him elevated off the ground.

 

[liver.shot]

I rewatched the leprechaun fight last night. It's astonishing how much more resistance he put up on the ground compared to Justin.

And yeah, I know Khabib stated he wanted to "change his face" and so did more gnp, but there were numerous escapes.

 

[AlanGregson]

If he faces this man next


You better believe hes getting tapped

You mean skinny diaz that got has ass whopped in the standup and on the ground by RDA..

 

[Katsushyro]

Will his future oponents have that level of grappling to exploit it? Also, gaetjhe was made slow by Habib's pressure, look what hapened with high presure fighter Tony...

 

[Paolo Delutis]

You mean skinny diaz that got has ass whopped in the standup and on the ground by RDA..

What year is this?

 

[Harmonica]

I rewatched the leprechaun fight last night. It's astonishing how much more resistance he put up on the ground compared to Justin.

And yeah, I know Khabib stated he wanted to "change his face" and so did more gnp, but there were numerous escapes.

Credit should be given where credit is due. I was amazed at how well Conor defended Khabib's initial takedown attempt.

 

[anachronist]

If he faces this man next


You better believe hes getting tapped

The only guys he can get down are the ones who are too tired to stand

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Looked like a fish out of water on the ground and his submission defense was complete trash, lmao too bad for Tony because he very well could have pulled a sub on him too if he got him on the ground.

In no uncertain terms, if he fights Oliviera, Oliviera will try to get him to the ground for a sub.

That may have been true before last weekend, but it's certainly true now.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

The only guys he can get down are the ones who are too tired to stand

Who says he has to take gaithje down...

Nate outworks him on the feet from range with his 6 inch reach advantage and justin panic wrestles into a submission

 

[fortheo]

The only guys that might be able to capitalize on it in the top ten are Oliveira and Carlos diego ferreira. Ferreira in particular has been putting a crazy pressure on guys lately and could possibly do that until gaethje slows down, then go for the takedowns. That said, I don't think we'll see Gaethje fight either of these guys.

 

[Grapplefest]

I think they'll try but they won't have success. Getting Gaethje down is very hard many have tried but most fail. I know Khabib made it look easy but that's Khabib I don't think anybody will have the success he had against Gaethje

This is a great sprawl from Gaethje.

Literally not a single other contender at LW is going to be able to continue on that takedown and run the pipe like khabib did after that fast ass sprawl. Gaethje is only gonna lose to an elite striker.