A detailed breakdown of Khabib Nurmagomedov's mid-range striking reveals he held his own or dominated on the feet against elite strikers. According to a flexible scoring system analyzing his last five fights, he won the mid-range exchanges against Barboza (25-11), Al Iaquinta (77-23), Dustin Poirier (6-6), and Justin Gaethje (14-12.25), while narrowly losing to Conor McGregor (16-19). Gaethje praised Khabib's jab effectiveness due to his ability to change levels, forcing opponents to respect the takedown threat. The analysis argues Khabib's striking, particularly his jab, was essential for maintaining pressure, closing distance, and setting up his wrestling along the cage. Without strong mid-range skills, securing his preferred cage wrestling positions would have been significantly more difficult.
