Georges St-Pierre vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov is without doubt one of the many fantasy fights that was by no means meant to be.
In direction of the tip of every fighter’s runs in blended martial arts (MMA), they’d made it clear how intrigued they have been by the potential tremendous combat. The enduring former Welterweight and Middleweight champion, St-Pierre, retired after he captured the latter title by way of a 3rd spherical rear-naked choke of Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017. Nurmagomedov adopted go well with three years later on the peak of his sport with Light-weight gold in his possession.
Ideally, the bout may have occurred someplace between 2017 and 2020, presumably in a Light-weight bout, as was all the time speculated. That also appears wild, contemplating St-Pierre’s dimension. Nonetheless, “Rush” had confidence he’d get the nod over “The Eagle” in the event that they got here to blows, even when it was in 2021 for Nurmagomedov’s try at going 30-0.
“I feel Khabib may have beat me, I’m not saying I may have beat Khabib on a regular basis,” St-Pierre stated on Pound 4 Pound (h/t MMA Preventing). “I used to be assured sufficient to take that combat that I used to be considering that if I take that combat I’m going to beat him that day at that specific place, that doesn’t imply I’ll beat him on a regular basis. However I used to be assured, possibly I’m improper.
“I feel I might have beat him as a result of if he would have come to place strain on me, I might have put him down,” he concluded. “I might have had the arrogance to attempt to go for it.”
St-Pierre’s legendary 28-fight profession (26-2) concluded on a 13-fight profitable streak that included redemptive efforts towards his lone successors, Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. Light-weight’s Nurmagomedov, alternatively, by no means misplaced in his 29 skilled fights.
Within the hypothetical match up, St-Pierre famous how effectively Nurmagomedov was at establishing his right-hand punches with the opponent’s worry of takedowns. In the end, GSP assesses himself and Nurmagomedov as proactive and reactive wrestlers, for probably the most half, and would have tried to wrestle Nurmagomedov in the course of the Octagon. All through his complete profession, GSP outwrestled his opponents collectively 102 takedowns to 10, per UFC Stats. Nurmagomedov outwrestled his 13 UFC opponents 61 to 2, 21 of these got here towards Abel Trujillo, the document for takedowns landed in a single combat.
“I feel most guys that fought Khabib have been afraid of Khabib’s takedowns, in order that they have been combating on their heels and so they have been getting backed as much as the wall,” St-Pierre stated. “Three guys that fought Khabib did very effectively: Gleison Tibau, very, very shut combat, should you watch that combat it’s very, very shut; Michael Johnson was my coaching associate… In the event you watch the early minute of the combat, he’s doing a incredible job till he misplaced his confidence as a result of Michael Johnson is extremely gifted, very, very gifted, however when issues begin not going his manner, the floodgate opens. I feel that’s one of many errors he did and if he would have began the second spherical nearly as good as he did within the first he would have had a greater efficiency.
“One other man who did effectively is [Justin] Gaethje, Gaethje at first did very effectively,” he concluded. “Kick, punch, he did very effectively till comparable story, issues begin to not go effectively after which all the pieces falls aside.”
