Usually, fans aren’t willing to listen to the takes of Renzo Gracie. Especially when it comes to his opinions on social media. But, nobody can deny the extensive library of knowledge Renzo has when it comes to Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. When it comes to Khabib Nurmagomedov facing Justin Gaethje, Gracie believes that even some of the best BJJ in the world would more than likely not be effective against “The Eagle.”
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to face the interim champion Justin Gaethje on October 24 at UFC 254. Nurmagomedov’s latest win was in Abu Dhabi back in 2019 when he submitted Dustin Poirier. Gaethje won the interim belt by defeating Tony Ferguson by TKO after a dominating performance. The announcement of this fight was welcomed with excitement by MMA fans around the world as they all get ready to see who will unify the belt.
Renzo Gracie Speaks on Khabib vs Gaethje
Khabib’s record is impressive and his fight style is just as exciting. Mauling his way to a victory, many fighters study his game in hopes of finding a hole in his game. In the opinion of some, the way to beat Khabib would be with high-level BJJ. But, Renzo Gracie spoke about the matchup, on a podcast with former fighter Mike Swick. And, how BJJ wouldn’t be enough to affect Nurmagomedov.
“It’s very tough to fight Khabib (on the ground), you know? That’s why he is the champion,” said Gracie. “He trains a lot of jiu-jitsu too. Every day, it’s a lot.”
Grinding Out Victories
He went on to speak about Nurmagomedov and how he is great at grinding out victories. In other words, if Khabib gets his hands on his opponent, he will likely maul them until they are out of stamina, and then finish them.
While Gaethje is a tough guy, Gracie believes that Khabib is simply too much. At UFC 254, we will all see how it plays out.