Michael Chiesa believes Khabib Nurmagomedov will pull off a victory over Tony Ferguson.
On April 7, Ferguson and Nurmagomedov will do battle inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The winner will emerge as the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder. It’ll serve as UFC 223’s main event.
Chiesa will also be on the card. He’ll be taking on former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. “The Maverick” will look to rebound from his controversial submission loss to Kevin Lee.
Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Chiesa gave his breakdown and prediction of Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov:
“I don’t see Tony trying to stop the takedowns. But Khabib’s going to pay for it. I still think Khabib wins, three (rounds) to two. Possibly a split decision. I think Tony’s going to win some rounds off his back. (If) Tony wins, I wouldn’t be surprised, but I just don’t know if (Tony has) the right grappling style to beat Khabib. I think to beat Khabib, you’ve got to maintain a scramble once you hit the floor and try to spin around and scramble to dominant position. I think Tony’s going to accept the guard. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but I don’t think it’s the best thing.”
Do you agree with Michael Chiesa’s prediction for UFC 223?
