khabib nurmagomedov vs. al Iaquinta | UFC Betting Sites

Al Iaquinta says that his next opponent, Kevin Lee, might be just as tough as current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. This is an interesting take by the former title contender.

Iaquinta is coming off the biggest fight thus far in his pro-MMA career as he agreed to step in on 24 hours notice. He fought Khabib in the main event of the UFC 223 pay-per-view event. Khabib ended up winning the fight by decision along with the undisputed UFC lightweight title.

Iaquinta vs. Lee II is set to headline the final UFC on FOX event next month. If you recall, their first fight went down in 2014 that saw Iaquinta emerge victorious via unanimous decision.

Al Iaquinta Makes Bold Statement

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Iaquinta stated that he believes Lee will be a tough fight for him and might be as tough as his latest fight.

“Everything was correct about this and nothing was correct about the last one. It was like injuries, coming off that Khabib fight I was still banged up. It was quick. I wasn’t happy with a few other things. It just wasn’t right. This is definitely a better fight. I think it’s an intriguing matchup. Just everything.”

UFC on FOX 31 is set to take place on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Iaquinta Impressed

Al Iaquinta continued by stating that he was sitting in the front row to watch Lee’s latest fight. He thought that he was a tough and brutal fight.

“Everything about it, I like. He’s just as tough, if not tougher [than Gaethje]. He might even be just as tough, if not tougher than Khabib. I was sitting front row at his last fight with (Edson) Barboza. And I was like, ‘F*ck, I don’t want to be Barboza right now.’ It was brutal, it was not fun to watch. So, I’m training my ass off. I want to be the one doing that to him, for sure.”

The post Al Iaquinta Says Kevin Lee Fight Might Be As Tough As Khabib appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Former Bellator lightweight champion and perennial contender Michael Chandler may not compete in the UFC’s lightweight division, but that doesn’t stop him from keeping an eye out on their talent.

Chandler specifically spoke about newly-minted UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s performance at UFC 223 and how it exposed his perceived weaknesses during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (via Bloody Elbow):

“If all he has is wrestling, how do you beat a man that can’t be taken down?”

“(UFC 223) showed chinks in (Khabib’s) armor, and showed what happens when Khabib can’t take you down. It’s tough whenever the one thing that you’ve always been used to dominating with isn’t working, and then you’re stuck throwing punches.”

Nurmagomedov took on Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 after his original opponent Tony Ferguson was forced to pull out with an injury the week of the fight. Iaquinta’s wrestling, while strong, isn’t on par with Nurmagomedov but he was still able to stuff several takedowns and keep the fight on the feet, especially in the later rounds.

Because of that fact, Khabib was forced to exercise his striking for much of the fight, so Chandler stated that he was a little behind in that aspect. But he stopped his criticism short to note that ‘The Eagle’ has often appeared unbeatable as well:

“He’s a little bit behind in the striking aspect,” he continued. “I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy, (he’s a) mauler. At certain times, he looks unbeatable. He has looked unbeatable where I’ve looked at it, and other people looked at it, and people that have fought him that I’ve talked to.”

Chandler (18-4) then compared his style to Nurmagomedov’s in how both men make their opponents quit and that unspoken quality that has made both men champions of their respective promotions:

“It’s a battle of wills, man. I knew I could outpace people, I knew I could out-cardio them, I could out-tough them. Certain people get to that breaking point, and they break and they concede, and they go into their shell, and they say ‘I did a good job.’”

Does the former Bellator champion have a point about Khabib’s performance at UFC 223?

The post Top Lightweight Claims UFC 223 Showed Khabib’s Weakness appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.