Ali Abdelaziz thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov would take out UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), a former UFC lightweight champion, retired from MMA with an undefeated record. Since hanging up his gloves, Nurmagomedov has been busy running his promotion Eagle FC, as well as coaching several of his teammates.
Many, including former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold, have had a hard time dealing with Nurmagomedov in grappling sessions in the gym and Abdelaziz is confident “The Eagle” could return now and dethrone Adesanya (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC).
“Khabib now weighs 200 pounds,” Abdelaziz told Sherdog. “If Khabib comes tomorrow and cuts to 185, he would stop Israel Adesanya in three rounds. I see it. He beats heavyweights, light heavyweights, welterweights, lightweights – he’s unstoppable now. He’s like a tractor trailer.
“But styles – if Khabib wants to come back and talks with Dana White and says, ‘Let me fight at middleweight,’ he will finish Israel in three rounds because the style of fights. Israel can’t stop his wrestling. He can’t stop his grappling. But striking, of course, Israel is the best striker on this planet.”
Nurmagomedov insists he’s done fighting after making a promise to his mother, but Abdelaziz has an inkling the competitive fire still burns in him.
“He can come back and fight middleweight and become a champion today,” Abdelaziz added. “He’s always in good shape, he’s always in good spirits and you never know. Honestly, he said, ‘I’m never going to fight again.’ But sometimes I feel like he wants (to).
“Because I said, ‘Hey, why do you go so hard with the guys?’ He said, ‘Oh, I have to show them who’s the boss.’ But in reality, you never know what happens. Maybe we do ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ with Tony Ferguson and they go crazy with each other and they end up fighting at the end of the season. You never know.”
