Justin Gaethje Believes Footwork Is Key To Beating Khabib Nurmagomedov

Gaethje: Footwork Will Keep Me Off The Fence

Justin Gaethje believes it will be his footwork that contributes to a win over Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Gaethje is expected to face Nurmagomedov in a title unification fight later this year following his impressive TKO win over Tony Ferguson earlier this month. He will not only look to become the undisputed lightweight champion, but also inflict Nurmagomedov’s first-ever career defeat in the process.

“The Eagle” is currently 28-0 and is yet to meet his match so far thanks in part to his extraordinary wrestling and grappling ability. But Gaethje — who has his own impressive wrestling credentials — feels his footwork will help him avoid those takedown attempts from Nurmagomedov.

“I think people are like ‘why didn’t he [Ferguson] grapple?’ And a huge factor in the Khabib fight is going be my feetwork,” Gaethje said on JRE. “There was never a spot where he felt comfortable to close the distance. I was constantly too far away and staying off the fence so it’s going to be huge against Khabib.”

“You got to stay off the fence. You got to have feetwork. Without feetwork, you can’t stay off the fence. … If he’s taking a shot in the open, it’s to drive you to the fence to finish the takedown. He’s not getting takedowns in the open. It’s going to be my feetwork. It’s going to be me keeping that distance where he feels slightly uncomfortable. Like when he [Ferguson] did go for the iminari roll, I was just too far.”

Another factor will also be Gaethje’s devastating leg kicks. “The Highlight” feels he just needs to land on Nurmagomedov’s calf four times before compromising him. Of course, it’s all easier said than done for now.

As for when the fight will happen, the plan is still September for now.

“I’m ready in September, he’s ready in September, so it’s perfect,” he added.

You can watch the full segment below:

What do you make of Gaethje’s comments?