Georges St-Pierre recently shared insights into the strategy he would have employed in a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
St-Pierre, a former two-division UFC titleholder, last competed in 2017 – securing a submission victory over Michael Bisping to win the middleweight championship.
Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, retired undefeated in 2020 after a dominant career as the UFC lightweight champion.
Reflecting on how he would have approached a bout with Nurmagomedov, St-Pierre acknowledged the Russian’s formidable overhand right and expertise in chain wrestling – particularly when pressing opponents against the fence.
However…
My style is different. My style is more in the middle.
I’m very good at using fakes and creating destruction to get in your legs.
I’m more the dynamic guy.I call it proactive and reactive takedown from the center, but Khabib is better when he’s got his opponent’s back against the fence.
My strategy if I would have gone against Khabib would be to keep the fight as most as I can in the middle and not be afraid to take him down.
I would have maybe been the first guy that he fought or one of the only guys that would have tried to take him down, and I’ve put down everybody that I’ve fought.
GSP was still unsure, however, how the fight might have ended:
I can say whatever I want but I think Khabib could have beat me.
I’m not saying I would have beat Khabib all the time.
I was confident enough to take that fight that I was thinking if I take that fight, I’m going to beat him that day, at that particular place.
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