This Saturday’s UFC 165 event features a number of big fights that are not only important to various weight classes, but which give the promotion a chance to feature fighters that can be developed into bigger names. And while the marquee bears the names of Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, a fight that should capture the attention of hardcore fans is Pat Healy vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Pat Healy and Khabib Nurmagomedov are two of the top 20 lightweights in the division, but they have displayed skill sets that could quickly catapult them into the top ten.
Healy’s last outing was against Jim Miller this past April, when he submitted the former lightweight standout and was awarded two bonus checks. Unfortunately for him, his drug test would return positive for traces of marijuana metabolites, which cost him the victory and the money. While his job isn’t on the line in this bout, that situation from UFC 159 has left him in dire need of a win.
Nurmagomedov is coming off his fourth straight win at UFC 160, as he’s continued to look quite impressive in the Octagon. The undefeated fighter has stopped two opponents while shutting out the other two en route to decision wins. If it’s not his fairly accurate striking, it is his ability to score takedown after takedown that wears on his opponents both physically and mentally.
Statistically comparing these two athletes suggests that this could be the type of well-matched fight that earns the Fight of the Night bonus at the end of the event. Both fighters are relatively equal when it comes to the number of strikes they land per minute and their accuracy. What stands out, however, is that Nurmagomedov’s defense is rated much more highly than Healy’s. If Healy becomes overaggressive in his attack, that would lead Nurmagomedov to open up his grappling game, which has been nearly unstoppable in his four UFC fights. “The Eagle” is averaging eight takedowns per 15-minute bout while stuffing 78 percent of those attempted against him. Healy’s takedown defense percentage sits at 68 percent, and he’s going to need every bit of that takedown defense to keep this fight upright.
However, if the fight does hit the ground, Healy’s track record seems to give him an advantage in that area. 15 submission wins stands out in comparison to Nurmagomedov’s seven. Fight Metric also points out that that Healy is more active in looking for submissions, as his opponent typically uses his grappling abilities to control bouts.
Pairing Healy and Nurmagomedov should create the type of fight in which both competitors are so closely matched in so many areas that they are forced to open up their attacks. This fight has the potential to be reminiscent of Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller from UFC 155. Frantic exchanges on the feet and scrambles on the mat await, as this will be a battle of ebbs and flows in momentum. Nurmagomedov should be able to rack up more points due to pestering Healy with takedown attempts, and scoring enough in control to warrant a judges’ decision.
The lightweight bout between Pat Healy and Nurmagomedov has Fight of the Night written all over it. This is the bout that is due to open up the pay-per-view portion of the card, but it should not be overlooked for any reason.
• Pat Healy vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Click the stars to rate your anticipation for this fight.
**********
UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson is due to take place on September 21, 2013 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 165 will be.
