“How Do You Beat Tony?”- Justin Gaethje Wary of Game Plan Against Tony Ferguson

With just two days to go for his bout with Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje is as prepared for what’s to come as he can be.

Of course, Ferguson is a freak of nature. There is nothing anyone has been able to do to stop the man. And his 12-fight-streak is proof of the devastation that he leaves behind.

What works in Gaethje’s favor is that he recognizes just how dangerous Ferguson is. He even went to the extent to say that Ferguson is much tougher an opponent to decipher than the UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Speaking about his mental preparation for the bout, Gaethje said, “I’m going to get elbowed. I’d be a fool to go in there and think I’m going to get out of there unscathed. Nine of 10 times, that’s not going to happen.”

Of course, Ferguson is famous for his deadly combination of unpredictability, excellence on the ground, stand-up, and his unbelievable cardio. And of course, the weapon that “El Cucuy” dubs ‘The Big Boys’ – his menacing elbow strikes.

Seems like Gaethje is anticipating what lies in his way. And he aims to rise through it and beat Tony.

“We have seen him get hit, we’ve never seen him get finished. No one ever put Edson to sleep like he did it. I know how hard it’s going to be to find the shot. But it only takes one. And I possess the skills and the power to land it. Tony is a very unique fighter. And it’s going to take time and patience to figure out how to be successful.”

Justin Gaethje compares Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson

According to Gaethje, Ferguson is a much tougher opponent to prepare for mentally than The Eagle. He said,

“There’s so many unknowns with Tony. You know what Khabib is going to do, and that’s going to be: Take you down, try to push you against the fence. And if not, he’s going to try and take shots from the space in the middle of the Octagon. I believe that he can’t take me down in the middle of the Octagon, and I can stay off the fence. So that puzzle is written. How do you beat Tony? I don’t know. I’m going to find out.”

Apparently, he’s much more prepared for Khabib than for Tony. But, then again, how do you prepare for someone who is actually ever-evolving?

However, this doesn’t mean that Khabib is someone that Gaethje takes lightly. The Champion shares the same unbeaten streak as Ferguson. Moreover, we might just get to see Gaethje test his theory out with Khabib, if he manages to survive and beat El Cucuy.

Do you think Gaethje will end the saga of Tony-Khabib? Let us know what you think in the comments section.