Elite Endings
By Eddie Sanchez
UFC 254 was no normal PPV. From the onset the discussions about the Khabib-Gaethje matchup were both shortsighted and profounding. Many experts felt that Justin Gaethje had the tools to give Khabib Nurmagomedov trouble, but in the same breath many of those experts were looking past the matchup towards a possible fight with the great Georges St-Pierre.
There was no slight toward Gaethje, the MMA community has just gotten used to seeing Khabib completely outclass the elites within the division and were looking towards the possible farewell fight for the GOAT claim.
Well, I sure hope those experts and everyone else was paying attention, because we got our farewell fight, one fight early.
The fight was of typical Khabib fashion. The first round was actually closer than most other opponents he has faced. Justin was finding a fair amount of success with his lead kicks and movement to not get caught against the cage. However, it was also clear that the pace of the fight favored Khabib and at the end of the round when Khabib scored a takedown, you got the sense that if the fight were to continue at this pace, it would be a short one.
This thought proved to be true as Khabib concluded the fight with a second round finish rather quickly.
Khabib had a swift takedown as he attacked Justin’s right leg to get him off balance, in one motion took control of his opponents back and finished Justin with a triangle choke. It was a work of art and very impressive.
There is no doubt that Khabib is the baddest man in the division.
Following the dominant performance, Khabib was on his knees full of emotion, which was understandable considering his father, mentor, friend and hero passed away on July third. This was his first fight without his idol in his corner and it became clear shortly after that it will be his last.
Selfishly as a fan, I am sad to see him go. There were a few potential matchups that I was interested in as Khabib could have cleared out the deepest division on his way to a UFC record for consecutive victories.
Unfortunately, he will sit tied for second, but his legacy is secure. It is clear that at the very least he is on the Mount Rushmore of the UFC greats and MMA in general. He has completely outclassed twenty-nine opponents on his way to a perfect record and has never left doubt creep into the cage.
Perhaps however, it is best that he is walking away now.
When a legend leaves at the peak of their powers it offers an aura of invincibility that will never fade.
Additionally, it’s also probably best that GSP is not going to return to face Khabib at his advanced age. We can move on with the lasting legacies for both greats and not have the elder’s image be forever ruined by an in-prime GOAT contender at a weight he is not accustomed to.
From the bottom of my heart I just have to say, Thank you Khabib Nurmagomedov. You have come a long way from wrestling bears in Russia and your legacy as one of the greatest of all time will live forever.
As sudden as his departure was, the division is still in great shape. In some order we have Conor MCgregor, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker and the elephant in the room, Michael Chandler as leading contenders for the now vacant title.
We also fortunately have a pretty clear path to settling the division, assuming the McGregor-Poirier matchup takes place in January as rumored.
Beyond that matchup, which will likely be for the vacant title considering Gaethje just lost and these two men are the next highest ranked contenders, we have four other men ready to make their claims as the next man up.
In my brief Twitter discussion, I suggested the two possible matchups:
Ferguson-Chandler
Gaethje-Hooker
Part of my reasoning stemmed from the fact that Tony Ferguson essentially got shafted by Poirier and McGregor as he sought both and the two men instead agreed to fight each other.
There is MUCH hype surrounding Michael Chandler’s UFC debut and considering that he was the possible substitute for UFC 254, it makes some sense that the two could fight each other. Additionally, I felt that Gaethje deserved the easiest matchup of these possible opponents because although he just lost to Khabib, he defeated Tony pretty convincingly.
With respect to Dan Hooker, he is not a true contender for the lightweight title and I felt this matchup would be a great way to settle that fact immediately. Justin stated post fight that he is interested in a quick turnaround, which would be favored with a softer matchup.
After the discussion, I could not help myself but start wishing for the Gaethje-Chandler matchup. After some consideration, this matchup actually makes more sense for the following reasons:
Both men trained and cut weight for UFC 254 and are opperating on similar schedules.
Justin Gaethje deserves the opportunity to quickly compete for the title if he so chooses to take on another elite opponent right away.
Justin defeated Tony, so he deserves the right of first refusal for the next best opponent.
The damage Justin inflicted on Tony was damning, so a softer opponent could do his confidence some good.
With these considerations in mind, I believe the Lightweight division should be settled with a McGregor-Poirier fight for the vacant belt followed by a defense against the winner of Gaethje and ex-Bellator champ Michael Chandler, with Tony Fergoson-Dan Hooker lurking in the background waiting for the next opportunity after.
This plan would set-up three intriguing matchups: two pick-ems and a third potential showcase (again, with respect to Dan Hooker). Assuming Conor can defeat Dustin a second time, a defense against the winner of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler would be epic!
It’s funny the way the world works. Less than a month ago, it looked as if Conor McGregor’s title chances within the division were all but gone. With Khabib gone and the UFC working quickly to help set-up a fight with Poirier, we now sit at a point where he may be fighting for the vacant title in less than ninety days.
Perhaps this truth truly represents Khabib’s dominance. With him no longer in the picture the greatest division is truly wide open. An argument for any of these contenders can be made that they are the next man, which would not be possible if The Eagle were still defending his title and status as P4P #1.
