UFC: Khabib’s coach says Conor McGregor ‘toughest’ match-up but GSP, Tony Ferguson ‘better legacy fights’
- Javier Mendez thinks hardest match-up out there stylistically for UFC lightweight champ is ‘the guy he already beat, Conor, hands down’
- But AKA head coach thinks Georges St-Pierre and Ferguson more ‘enticing’ to Khabib to go 30-0 than McGregor rematch
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach thinks Conor McGregor is “hands down” still the hardest match-up out there for the UFC lightweight champion.
Javier Mendez is set to fly to Dagestan to train Nurmagomedov (28-0) for his showdown with interim lightweight champ Justin Gaethje (22-2) at UFC 254 on October 24. The Russian has concerns about conducting his camp at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose like usual, with coronavirus cases high in California.
But asked who would be the toughest fight in the division stylistically for Nurmagomedov, Mendez told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto: “It’s the guy he already beat, Conor, hands down for me.
“Look at the fight with Conor,” Mendez added of their heated October 2018 clash. “He took him down in the first round. How much damage did Conor sustain in that first round, how much control did Khabib have with Conor? Where have you seen the opposite of that, never.
“He’s had better control. Conor’s stand up is great. Khabib’s stand-up is very underrated. People need to wake up – the man can strike. I don’t care what people say, ‘He can’t strike, oh that’s your chance, go and strike’. Go ahead. If Khabib didn’t have any grappling, go and strike with him, see what happens to you, see if he can’t knock you out.
