World News – GB – UFC 254 Predictions – Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje: fight card, odds, expert pick, prelims, date

play now

Parlay Pick’em

play now

Monday Accessories

Start or Sit (NFC Home Games)

Covering the impact of the coronavirus on the world of sport

UFC 254 is almost here, and that means Khabib Nurmagomedov puts his lightweight championship on the line against interim champion Justin Gaethje in one of the most anticipated fights of the year The action unfolds Saturday afternoon from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi

Gaethje is coming off the biggest victory of his career, defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in May by TKO in the fifth round after dominating almost every minute of the fight This derailed the plan of trying for a sixth time to make a fight between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov, but it set up a convincing showdown of Gaethje’s punching and defensive wrestling power against the dominant offensive wrestling game of Nurmagomedov Gaethje has won four straight KO victories, including three in the first round against James Vick, Edson Barboza and Donald Cerrone

Nurmagomedov is unbeaten in 28 career fights and has successfully defended the lightweight title twice since winning the belt in April 2018 With few problems in any of his recent fights, the champion will be ready to continue his dominant run and move closer to his goal of retiring undefeated at 30-0

Additionally, the co-main event sees a de facto middleweight title eliminator play out as former champion Robert Whittaker takes on veteran Jared Cannonier Whittaker rebounded well after his TKO loss to Israel Adesanya with a decision victory over Darren Till earlier this summer Cannonier, meanwhile, has won three straight wins since falling to 185 pounds, but none of his opponents have been at Whittaker’s level

Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild ride Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the map with the latest William Hill Sportsbook odds

Don’t have enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest news in the combat sports world from two of the best in the business Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news

With such a massive main event on tap, the CBS Sports team have made predictions and choices for the main card Here are the creators of your choice: Brent Brookhouse (combat sports writer), Brian Campbell (sports writer from combat, « Morning Kombat » co-host), Matthew Coca (producer), Jack Crosby (editor) and Michael Mormile (producer) In addition, Luke Thomas, « Morning Kombat » co-host gives you a choice and a prediction for the main event

Campbell explains why Gaethje is going to win: Until we see Nurmagomedov badly damaged or forced to rally from behind, it’s hard to imagine him ever losing in the Octagon If someone is equipped to do it, however, it could be just Gaethje His extreme lack of care to acquire damage so that he can instill it on his opponent is certainly a big part of it, as is his one-hit KO ability. and his damaging kicks But it’s his physicality and his amateur wrestling background, which could become the key if he is found to be able to stand up once Nurmagomedov inevitably takes him down, that could be the deciding factor to upset him.

Thomas explains why Khabib is going to win: [Gaethje’s] a living dog If you wanted to take a flyer on Gaethje for betting purposes, I would have it But I’ll take Nurmagomedov The reason why is when he has tough weight cuts or he has opponents with a tough takedown defense he always finds a way to win I’m going to get back to that pace of work Gaethje has said in previous interviews that the reason he doesn’t fight not unless he has to is it tires him out It’s a bit worrying for me, especially in a 25 minute fight I think someone like Nurmagomedov, he can fight even if he doesn’t have the upper hand almost all the time Gaethje might have a few more rounds early, but if the fight lags, he just won’t be the same fighter

Brookhouse explains why Khabib will win: Gaethje deserves a ton of respect as an opponent and is the very definition of a live dog going into combat That said, everyone is talking about how they know how to beat Nurmagomedov, and if Gaethje’s wrestling experience is a legitimate tool to enter this fight, Nurmagomedov’s MMA wrestling is a different animal Gaethje is going to stuff some shots, but Nurmagomedov is relentless and once he starts forcing Gaethje to the cage – which Gaethje insists that won’t happen – then he will dominate the fight.

Brookhouse explains why Whittaker will win: Cannonier has been hot since he fell at middleweight, but his opponents haven’t been at Whittaker’s level As long as Whittaker can avoid being hit dead with a big blow Powerful of Cannonier, he should be able to practice a patient and technical hitting game that is just too difficult for Cannonier to keep up with. Whittaker is also proven to be someone who can go the distance in middleweight and drag Cannonier into deeper water could tire the taller man.

Campbell explains why Harris will win: Harris appeared to be poised to deal with Alistair Overeem and clinch an emotional victory over the death of his stepdaughter until a mistake cost him a fight that Reportedly heralded him as the next heavyweight title contender Although getting served a tough outing like Volkov isn’t a picnic, the tall Russian has proven susceptible to being controlled by wrestlers Harris will certainly have to penetrate Volkov’s ability to control distance with stiff strikes from the outside But if he does, it’s a fight Harris can win and he will be highly motivated after such a disappointing end against Overeem.

Who will win Nurmagomedov vs Gaethje, and how will each fight end? Visit SportsLine now for detailed picks on every fight at UFC 254, all from the unrivaled expert who has won over $ 20,000 in MMA and completed 22 of the last 28 main events

We bring important sports news to your inbox, to help you stay informed and gain a winning edge

CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc the commissioner com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Justin Gaethje, Mixed Martial Arts, Robert Whittaker