Within the last a number of years of his boxing profession, Floyd Mayweather put up astounding pay-per-view numbers in struggle after struggle. A few of it was the opponent, however numerous it was connected to the zero on Mayweather’s file.

Mayweather cleverly realized that there was a phase of people that would purchase his fights to see him win, however there was a good bigger group who needed to see him lose. And so his fights turned large occasions.

On Saturday, the UFC is anticipating an enormous occasion when Khabib Nurmagomedov defends his light-weight championship in the primary occasion of UFC 254 on Struggle Island in Abu Dhabi in opposition to interim champion Justin Gaethje, a knockout artist who’s the most important menace to his title reign but.

That is the MMA model of the traditional boxer versus slugger bout, with Gaethje’s punching energy and damaging strikes pitted in opposition to Nurmagomedov’s Olympic medalist-level wrestling.

Nurmagomedov is 28-Zero and has largely been unchallenged in his MMA profession. He’s a -340 favourite on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to make Gaethje, who’s +270, sufferer No. 29.

UFC president Dana White mentioned developments present pay-per-view gross sales that might exceed 2 million and have a shot at breaking the file of two.four million set in 2018 when Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor at UFC 228 in Las Vegas.

At its core, this struggle will boil down to 2 factors: A.) Can Gaethje stand up as soon as Nurmagomedov takes him down and B.) Can Nurmagomedov soak up a clear Gaethje shot and maintain combating?

Few have been capable of survive Nurmagomedov’s grappling assault. It requires elite wrestling, which Gaethje has, power, flexibility and unimaginable conditioning. Nurmagomedov mauls opponents on the bottom, and he wears them down with every takedown even when he doesn’t get a submission.

He Velcros himself to his opponent and forces the opponent to expend extraordinary quantities of vitality struggling to stand up. Ultimately, like an animal combating a python, it wears them down they usually’re submitted.

Gaethje is perhaps the opponent most suited to vary that cycle. He was a two-time state champion and a two-time runner-up whereas in highschool. He was additionally a 2010 NCAA Division I All-American whereas at Northern Colorado.

He’s just like the legendary UFC Corridor of Famer Chuck Liddell in that he doesn’t use his wrestling as an offensive weapon, however does use it defensively to maintain himself on his toes. He has a takedown protection of 80%, although in opposition to admittedly far inferior wrestlers than Nurmagomedov.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 21: (L-R) Opponents Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia and Justin Gaethje face off through the UFC 254 press convention at Yas Seaside on October 21, 2020 on UFC Struggle Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photograph by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

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Like Liddell, Gaethje has bone-crunching energy and might change the course of a struggle with one punch, kick, knee or elbow. He doesn’t range the velocity on his pictures and throws with excessive velocity each time, coming in and winging large pictures in his opponent’s course.

He has a really shrewd coach in Trevor Wittman, who was the architect of the sport plan that helped Gaethje upset Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 and win the interim title.

Gaethje received his first 18 fights, 17 by KO, however was compelled to make some modifications after back-to-back defeats to Eddie Alvarez at UFC 218 on Dec. 2, 2017, and to Dustin Poirier on April 14, 2018, on a Struggle Night time card in Glendale, Arizona.

He was so decided to be the game’s most fun fighter that he created openings for high-level opponents to take advantage of.

He’s nonetheless among the many most fun fighters within the sport, because the three Efficiency of the Night time bonuses and two Struggle of the Night time honors he’s gotten in his final 4 bouts, all wins, would attest.

He’s stopped James Vick, Edson Barboza and Donald Cerrone within the first spherical and completed Ferguson late within the fifth.

He may try to make use of a few of his wrestling to maintain Nurmagomedov off-balance and create openings for himself. What he doesn’t wish to do is to stay on the bottom for lengthy stretches. That’s the place Gaethje will see Nurmagomedov slowly suck the life out of him.

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Nurmagomedov’s palms are surprisingly good, as he confirmed in his win over McGregor. Considered one of his greatest strikes is one which landed a number of instances in opposition to McGregor, the place he leans ahead as if he’s going to shoot for the takedown however as an alternative fires the overhand proper.

If he can land his proper hand and make Gaethje defend it, he’ll doubtless be capable to get it to the bottom.

Search for Nurmagomedov’s grappling to take command because the struggle wears down. Gaethje is bodily sturdy in addition to the proprietor of a excessive struggle IQ, so he’s not going to be shocked by what the champion does.

Nonetheless, even when you understand what’s coming, there are occasions that the opponent is just too good and also you succumb to the irresistible pressure.

I count on Nurmagomedov to grind out a call. Gaethje is hard, decided, gifted and good, and he’ll discover a technique to make it to the ultimate bell. However Nurmagomedov will present why some imagine he’s the best fighter within the historical past of this sport by outlasting Gaethje and develop into the undisputed champion.

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