A much anticipated lightweight title fight headlines Saturday’s UFC 254 pay-per-view card. In that contest, UFC lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov puts his belt — and his perfect 28-0 — record on the line against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje, who has yet to go the distance as a UFC fighter.
Nurmagomedov captured the vacant belt in 2018 with a decision win over late replacement Al Iaquinta. Since taking possession of the 155-pound belt, Nurmagomedov has had two successful defenses of that title. In October 2018, he forced Conor McGregor to tap to a neck crank, and in September 2019 he submitted Dustin Poirier via rear-naked choke.
Gaethje joined the UFC in 2017 after a two-year reign as the World Series of Fighting lightweight champion. He opened his UFC career with a 4-2 record. In May 2020 he faced Tony Ferguson for the interim title. Gaethje ended Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak via a fifth-round TKO.
The most interesting stats heading into this matchup are Nurmagomedov’s takedowns, the takedown defense of both fighters and the power strikes of Gaethje.
Before Saturday’s UFC 254 pay-per-view card takes place, here is a look at how the main event competitors line up in the most important statistical categories.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje Head-To-Head Stats
| Fighter | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Justin Gaethje |
|---|---|---|
| Fighter | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Justin Gaethje |
| Sig. Strikes Landed per Min. | 4.11 | 7.74 |
| Striking Accuracy % | 49 | 59 |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed per Min. | 1.65 | 8.37 |
| Striking Defense % | 67 | 54 |
| Takedown Avg. per 15 Min. | 5.35 | 0.00 |
| Takedown Accuracy % | 47 | 0 |
| Takedown Defense % | 84 | 80 |
| Submission Avg Per 15 Min. | 0.7 | 0.0 |
About the author
