Luke Rockhold has explained the only way opponents could possibly beat Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The UFC lightweight champion is 28-0 in MMA and it's hard to foresee anyone beating him inside the Octagon given his unrivalled grappling ability.
But Rockhold, who is a teammate of Khabib's, says fighters have been getting their strategy all wrong against the Russian.
Feeling that the longer the fight goes on, the more comfortable Khabib becomes, Rockhold believes the only logical approach is to be out of the traps quickly and catch him with something early on.
"The problem is these guys at Lightweight. They do not know what it is like when Khabib gets a hold of them," Rockhold told Submission Radio
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"And I've been with most top talents I've seen at lightweight and welterweight and I've grappled with them, and Khabib is more than anything that any lightweight has ever felt, and most of all welterweights.
"So, I don't care who you are, how slippery you are, even if you're Tony Ferguson and you're slippery, you're not gonna feel the same thing when Khabib gets a hold of you. It's gonna slow you down. so you gotta get him early because the longer that thing went Khabib, the more times Khabib got a hold of you. It just wouldn't go well."
Khabib vs Ferguson was nixed for a fifth time due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, with the champion now fighting the winner of the UFC 249 main event between 'El Cucuy' and Justin Gaethje for the interim belt on a stacked rearranged card behind closed doors on May 9.
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The Ferguson vs. Gaethje fight is one of the most violent fights you will see," Dana White told ESPN on an Instagram Live, via MMA Junkie.
"I can guarantee that. This fight is going to be incredible. The winner will fight Khabib for the title. This is for the interim. 100 percent (the winner fights Khabib)."
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