A comprehensive analysis of Khabib Nurmagomedov's final five UFC fights reveals his underrated striking ability, particularly his jab and medium-range boxing. According to detailed scoring, Khabib won or drew the striking exchanges in four of five matchups: defeating Edson Barboza 25-11, dominating Al Iaquinta 77-23, going even 16-19 with Conor McGregor despite a knockdown, tying Dustin Poirier 6-6, and edging Justin Gaethje 14-12.25. Justin Gaethje specifically praised Khabib's jab effectiveness, noting it was enhanced by constant level-change threats that forced opponents to pull their hips back. The analysis notes that Khabib bloodied Gaethje's nose with jabs by the second round and consistently used his striking to set up takedowns against the cage. The piece argues that without solid striking skills, Khabib would have struggled to implement his dominant wrestling game, comparing him favorably to other wrestling-heavy fighters who were knocked out. The author concludes Khabib would have dominated the welterweight division against fighters like Woodley, Covington, Edwards, Masvidal, and Thompson, with only Usman presenting a question mark.
