UFC 209: Breaking down Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson

The breakdown is here!

A fight to the death on murderers' row

Fans are in for a treat as we will see the #1 and #2 ranked fighters in the Lightweight division square off in what should set up a title eliminator match-up for the next crack at the lightweight crown.

Khabib Nurmagomedov will take on Tony Ferguson, in this much anticipated co-main event showdown at UFC 209.

Examining the resumes

The Eagle Nurmagomedov is currently undefeated in professional MMA competition, boasting a record of 24-0.

He is thus also undefeated inside the UFC octagon with his UFC record being 8-0. Khabib is a Two-time Russian Combat Sambo and two-time World Sambo Champion.

Finishing 12 of his last 16 wins, Khabib possesses elite level freestyle wrestling skills. When combining both wrestling and grappling as tangible weapons in MMA, you will struggle to find a fighter who is better in those facets of the game.

The Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner Tony Ferguson, on the other hand, also means business. He is a three-time Michigan High School Athletic Association wrestling standout. His All-State Honours included a State Championship in his senior Senior year and he is a two-time Collegiate All-American at the Grand Valley State University.

Since winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, Ferguson has only suffered one loss inside the octagon. That loss came against Michael Johnson, dating back to 2012. Since that time, "El Cucuy" has ripped off nine straight victories, posting six impressive finishes in this run.

The Intangibles

What we know about Tony Ferguson is that he is masterful in chaos. Without a shadow of a doubt, Ferguson is one of the best mixed martial artists anywhere when it comes to making adjustments in the heat of the moment.

With an unprecedented ability to adapt to his environment, it's Ferguson' reckless abandon that actually makes him so great.

Ferguson remains calm and supremely confident in all the risks that he takes, whether that's making split second adjustments to claim a dominant position, or executing flying knees. The risk taking and unpredictability is what ultimately defines Ferguson and makes him an amazing fighter. 

Khabib, on the other hand, is arguably the best wrestler and grappler in MMA, with him landing an astonishing 6.14 TD per fight at 48% accuracy. Khabib once landed 21 out of 27 takedowns over the course of 3 rounds.

Khabib’s TD stats leave us wondering why he is so effective with the takedowns. This comes down to experience.

His Sambo background has prepared him to compete in MMA at the highest level. "The Eagle” has spent years refining his craft and the resultant success can be found in his record alone, which is tangible proof that he is among the elite right now.

Khabib’s submission defence is also superb but it’s his striking that continues to remain underrated.

The lightweight standout is landing 3.82 significant strikes at 50% accuracy. His striking defence is also stellar as he is currently only absorbing 1.5 significant strikes per minute while posting a defensive rate of just over 70.

With Khabib, it's the top game that is so deadly. The Sambo master is like a bag of bricks when on top of opponents, with his hips positioned heavily with a smothering quicksand style.

Khabib’s ground and pound game is just as lethal and if you find yourself underneath this guy, he is going to make you pay in the worst way possible.

The full breakdown on the Kobe’s Corner YouTube channel can be seen below:

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For Indian audience: LIVE Telecast - UFC 209, LIVE and Exclusive on Sunday, 5 March 2017, on Sony ESPN at 8.30 am