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Matt Serra doesn’t see Khabib Nurmagomedov as an invincible force, as he names two fighters who can pose a threat.
With a 28-0 record and continuous dominant performance in the UFC alone, Khabib Nurmagomedov is looking to be an unstoppable force in MMA. But for UFC Hall-of-Famer and former welterweight champion Matt Serra, “The Eagle” is beatable, just like everyone else.
In a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Serra picked Brian Ortega as one of the fighters who can pose a legitimate threat to the undefeated champion.
(UFC 242) was something else, but styles make fights,” he said (transcript by BJPenn.com). “So after that fight I’m thinking, is there anything telling in the whole division that somebody can challenge him? [That] can really pose a threat. Two names immediately shot up in my head. One, Brian Ortega.
“I don’t give a f—k what anyone says. That guillotine was tight as hell. I’d love to hear what Khabib says about it, but the fact that he had to go to his hip, he didn’t go straight up belly to ceiling cause he knows that could be it, he had to make him adjust his grip. That thing was tight man. So if somebody who is a little more precise or a lot more precise like Brian Ortega, in a transition with a takedown, he gets that arm around the neck, can he finish it?”
The other fighter he named is Justin Gaethje, who like Khabib, has a solid wrestling background.
“Who’s held down Gaethje and beat him up?” Serra continued. “Nobody. He’s so powerful, cardio never seems to be a problem. The way he puts his kicks and his hands [together]. He’s powerful with his fists.”
Ortega did say it would’ve been “a wrap” if he was in Poirier’s place, locking in the guillotine. Gaethje also likes his chances against Khabib, knowing he can “kick so hard.”