Justin Gaethje: Khabib Won’t Embrace Damage Like Ferguson

Interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is confident he will be able to inflict damage on Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 but doubts the undefeated Russian will embrace it as Tony Ferguson did at UFC 249 earlier this year.

Gaethje put a brutal and bloody beatdown on Ferguson when they met back in May. ‘The Highlight’ repeatably dropped bombs on the former interim lightweight champion for almost five full rounds. ‘El Cucuy’ was able to absorb all the damage and still keep coming forward in an impressive show of heart before referee Herb Dean mercifully waved off the fight in the fifth and final round.

Nurmagomedov has taken next to no damage throughout his 28-fight professional career. Gaethje finds this curious and has previously spoken with intrigue about making the Russian wrestler bleed for the first time in the Octagon.

The 31-year-old has recently been talking up his ability to inflict damage in a fight. Gaethje told Morning Kombat that he is confident of hurting Nurmagomedov who he feels is unlikely to take punishment as well as his most recent opponent, Tony Ferguson.

“I create damage. If I barely miss and barely clip you, it’s damage. Damage is done,” Gaethje said. “In a 25-minute fight I will create damage one way or another. The thing about Tony (Ferguson) is that Tony loves that. One thing I am sure about Khabib is that he does not love that.” (Transcribed by MMA Mania)

Gaethje is currently riding high off the back of the biggest win of his career which stretched his unbeaten run to four. ‘The Highlight’ previously scored three consecutive first-round KO wins over James Vick, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and Edson Barboza to establish himself as one of the best and most dangerous 155lb fighters on the planet.

Nurmagomedov has looked as close to perfect as humanly possible since joining the UFC back in 2012. The 32-year-old has won 11 straight fights, rarely dropping a round. He holds high-profile wins over the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Rafael Dos Anjos. Nurmagomedov will fight for the first time in more than a year in Abu Dhabi this coming weekend. It’ll also the first time he’s competing since his father and mentor Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away.

Do you think Justin Gaethje will be able to inflict damage on Khabib Nurmagomedov?