Can Justin Gaethje Out-Wrestle Khabib? Chael Sonnen Gives His Verdict

Justin Gaethje is currently one of the most capable fighters in the Lightweight division. He ranks #4 in the division and is surely going to be up for a Championship bout in the near future.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, the current Champion, has dominated the Lightweight division for quite some time now and no one seems to be getting any close to beating him. Opponent after opponent crumbles in front of Khabib’s exceptional skills.

Also read: Conor McGregor or Justin Gaethje, Who Should Fight For the Title Next?

Yet, Chael Sonnen believes that Gaethje just might be the one to break The Eagle’s unbroken streak. And with good reason.

In his latest episode, Sonnen gave his verdict regarding the possibilities of Gaethje beating Khabib. His claims were backed by the immense credibility of Dustin Poirier‘s thoughts on the same. Sonnen said,

“Dustin Poirier, who has fought both Justin Gaethje and Khabib, came out and said that [out] of everyone in the division…… Justin Gaethje has the best chance to beat Khabib. If we look at Gaethje, Gaethje while being a great wrestler, I do not suggest for [you to] go out and wrestle Khabib because Gaethje doesn’t wrestle anyone! [It] drives me crazy!”

Apparently, Justin once had a great wrestling career. In fact, he was the first athlete from Colorado to achieve All-American status. This came after he ranked 7th in the NCAA Division I 157lbs Championship. Unfortunately, he lost touch with wrestling after he fell in love with the striking game in MMA.

While Sonne does believe that there is a balance within Gaethje’s game, he knows that Gaethje will never employ wrestling. And thus, out goes the idea of out wrestling Khabib.

Though, Sonnen still believes that there are ways in which Gaethje can beat Nurmagomedov.

Justin Gaethje might just be able to pull off a victory against Khabib: Chael Sonnen

While Sonnen did rule out wrestling as a means for Gaethje to beat Khabib, he seems to have a rather interesting game-plan for Gaethje. His analysis of Khabib’s technique proves that the first thing an opponent needs to beat him is pace. A pace that at least matches Khabib’s.

According to Sonnen, a fighter who matches Khabib’s pace for the first three rounds of the fight and avoids being cornered into the fence creates a chance of winning. The exchange in those rounds should be matched, if not in favor of Khabib’s opponent.

Sonnen also said that the only way to tackle Khabib’s aggressive wrestling is by taking the offense to him, quoting the famous saying, “The best defense is a good offense.”

At the helm of it all, Sonnen, in compliance with Poirier’s views, believes that the only opponent who can manage to do so is Justin Gaethje.

Do you agree with Chael Sonnen? Is Gaethje the one who will put a stop to Khabib’s streak?

Also read: Khabib Nurmagomedov Compares Tony Ferguson to His Past Opponents