Luke Rockhold: Only One Way To Defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov

Luke Rockhold doesn’t believe anyone will defeat UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov holds an unparalleled 28-0 record in mixed martial arts and is yet to face his equal inside the Octagon so far. Many observers, however, believe Tony Ferguson is the man who poses the biggest threat.

Ferguson is currently scheduled to face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 249 on May 9 and is expected to face Nurmagomedov later this year should he come out on top.

However, Nurmagomedov’s American Top Team teammate in Rockhold doesn’t see that potential fight going any different.

“The problem is, these guys at lightweight, they just don’t know what it’s like when Khabib gets a hold of them,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “And I’ve been with most top talents I’ve seen at lightweight and welterweight and I’ve grappled with them, and Khabib is more than anything that any lightweight has ever felt, and most of all welterweights.

“So, I don’t care who you are, how slippery you are, even if you’re Tony Ferguson and you’re slippery, you’re not gonna feel the same thing when Khabib gets a hold of you. It’s gonna slow you down.”

Rockhold does forecast one possible way to defeat Nurmagomedov, however.

“You’d have to get him with something wild, something early,” he added. “Because the longer that thing went, the more times Khabib got a hold of him, it just, it wouldn’t go well for him.”

Do you agree with Rockhold?