Bit too much mythos around Khabib for my liking. He's as overrated here as GGG is in the boxing thread. That's not to say they're not both great at what they do, but the overall tableaux of them being from another planet is OTT.
The whole time Khabib kept leaning back with his chin sky high and only linear movement backward, it felt like he could have been KO'd at any time, but Laquinta was either caught up in the moment, or just not bright enough to feint the initial punch, step-in and smashu that open jaw.
Honestly, the entire fight beyond the 2nd round, I was fearing he'd get caught and ruin the whole fight map for 2018 in the process.
Khabib was clearly testing out stuff from the gym and trying to put on a show with his actions beyond the second round, but in the process has inadvertantly exposed more flaws in his standup than he should have done. Those traits he has are instinctual and will take years, if ever, to shake - that thing of leaning back, in line, with his chin in the clouds is habitual and it's not going to change. That will have given both Ferguson and Conor's camps something to work with that they shouldn't have even got the chance to find out about. That same head movement vs Ferguson would get Khabib's head kicked off; vs Conor, he'll be feinted and put on the end of a bomb, which, if it doesn't end the fight, will have him wobbled and primed for finishing.
It's obvious Khabib will stick tightly to his initial strategy of the first two rounds vs either Conor or Tony as it's a given he won't engage in standup like he did in this fight, but they have a standing game he will have no choice but to respect. Khabib's shooting is not good. It's element of risk is much higher than that of collegiate wrestlers who explode with everything they have and tackle at mid-riff. Woodley, Cormier, GSP and the like run much less of a gauntlet initially than the Maier's and Khabib's who tend to go for the lower leg or a slowish surge for a thigh. That is risky once the fight goes past a few rounds. Khabib's stamina isn't a patch on Ferguson's and I really think you guys who have the notion Ferguson would get mauled in there are seriously underestimating the components that give that a chance of happening - unless Ferguson purposely engages to put himself in harms way, Khabib has a nightmare trying to lay hands on him.
I actually really like Khabib, and the stuff he does once he gets in is a work of art, but he is one-dimensional and he has flaws. And that plodding forward because his opponent is terrified, thing, is not going to work at the highest level - he'll have to do more if he's to be a long-term belt holder. Unlike other wrestlers who have been champion for an extended period of time, Khabib doesn't carry multiple threats. GSP, Woodley, Cormier all three of them are rock-solid standing up, and three of them can put opponents through the ringer without the bout going to the ground even once. The same can't be said of Khabib and he's now going to be fighting people who can take his standing work to pieces. Wherever he goes from here, there are excellent fights to be made and massive amount of risk. Exciting times!
