"Colby's lack of bjj is gonna cost him" - Fans debate who would win in a fantasy matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Colby Covington
MMA fans on Reddit recently played matchmaker when they kicked around the idea of a fantasy matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Colby Covington. Both fighters are known for their wrestling pedigree.
'The Eagle' is known for his famed wrestling pressure, top-control, and vicious ground-and-pound. Covington, on the other hand, relies on his outstanding chain wrestling to keep the fight in his desired terrain.
Before retiring from fighting, Nurmagomedov finished his last three fights with submissions against major names in Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Covington's last submission victory came against Jonathan Meunier back in June 2016 at UFC Fight Night 89.
KHABIB FORCES CONOR TO TAP! 😱
IT'S ALL OVER!! #UFC229 https://t.co/jcjjUQJw61
This sparked the idea of a fantasy match-up in the welterweight division between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Colby Covington that was floated on Reddit by a user:
''5 rounds welterweight bout between these two, who you got?''
One user claimed that Covington's lack of submission abilities would cost him:
''Colby's lack of bjj is gonna cost him''
Another user pointed out that the Dagestani's jiu-jitsu skills are truly elite:
''How good is Colbys BJJ? Cause Khabib BJJ is legit.''
Here are some of the best fan reactions below:
How many submission victories does Khabib Nurmagomedov have in the UFC?
Khabib Nurmagomedov entered the UFC with a perfect record of 16 wins in 16 fights with six submission victories to his name. The Dagestani phenom made his UFC debut on 20 January 2012 at UFC on Fox. Nurmagomedov defeated Kamal Shalorus via submission in the third round.
Everyone took notice of 'The Eagle' and respected his skills, but he had a hard time booking a fight against the best in the division.
Nurmagomedov recognized that a switch in the way he approached the fight game was inevitable, and his breakthrough performance came against Michael Johnson at the grand stage of Madison Square Garden. He defeated Johnson by submission in the third round and grabbed the microphone to call out the biggest superstar in the sport, Conor McGregor.
Manhandled Michael Johnson 😱
Called out Conor in front of thousands of Irish fans 👀
UFC 205 was the night when Khabib made it so he couldn't be ignored any longer!
#UFC242 https://t.co/SMHwoNY3GE
The last three fights of Nurmagomedov's career were truly spectacular. He submitted Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje in succession and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest lightweight fighters of all time. Khabib Nurmagomedov had five submission victories in the UFC.