"People forget he was taken down on several occasions" - BJJ ace John Danaher gives his honest thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov's grappling skill
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace John Danaher recently gave his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov's fabled grappling abilities. While doing so, the esteemed master of the gentle martial arts form also directed attention to an underrated skill in Nurmagomedov's arsenal.
The 6th-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie trained some of the best grapplers in the world today, including the likes of Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon. The formidable 'Danaher Death Squad' ruled the grappling circuit before disbanding in early 2021.
While speaking about Khabib Nurmagomedov on the Lex Fridman Podcast, the jiu-jitsu wizard got to the bottom of the Dagestani's impeccable ground control.
"He [Khabib Nurmagomedov] beat people from every style. He beat wrestlers, he beat jiu-jitsu players, he beat kickboxers, and he controlled them all in the same way."
Danaher also drew attention to 'The Eagle's undervalued bottom game:
"He has a very underrated bottom game. People think that he's all about stifling top control. But people forget he was taken down on several occasions. He showed excellent guard work from the bottom. He was able to get into submission holds on opponents from bottom position."
In his last fight against Justin Gaethje, Nurmagomedov pulled off an unconventional triangle choke that he set up from top control. Contrary to ordinary practice of the submission hold, 'The Eagle' proved his technical soundness at UFC 254.
Watch John Danaher break down Khabib Nurmagomedov's grappling below:
Watch: Khabib Nurmagomedov showcases excellent ground defense when Abel Trujillo took him down
Khabib Nurmagomedov faced Abel Trujillo on May 25, 2013, at UFC 160 in his fourth fight under the UFC banner. The fight was contested at catchweight as Nurmagomedov came in over the permitted limit, weighing in at 158.5 lbs.
Tensions flared at the ceremonial weigh-in and 'The Eagle' shoved his American opponent. Boxing legend Mike Tyson, who was present at the weigh-ins, seemed to enjoy the action.
The combat Sambo specialist set a new UFC record for the most takedowns in a single fight, with 21 successful takedowns out of 28 attempts en route to a unanimous decision victory.
However, a brief sequence from the fight has somehow been consigned to oblivion. Trujillo managed to take down Nurmagomedov with a well-timed takedown attempt and put the Russian on his back. The then 24-year-old lightweight immediately pulled guard and attempted to control Trujillo's arms from the bottom.
He attempted to lock the right arm of the American down with his left hand and smoothly transitioned into an armbar attempt. Nurmagomedov was relentless in his efforts to get back on his feet and the sequence ended with the Dagestani drilling a takedown of his own.
Watch the sequence below: