He’ll have to fight a healthy Khabib Nurmagomedov at some point
Nurmagomedov, the No. 3-ranked, undefeated 22-0 Combat Sambo champion, was originally set to fight Cerrone at UFC 178 before a knee injury suffered literally 20 minutes later put a stop to the bout.
When “The Eagle” comes back early next year, he’ll undoubtedly be in for a big fight, and it could indeed be Alvarez that welcomes him back to the cage. If that’s the case, Alvarez is going to be in for a stiff challenge.
That’s not to say he couldn’t win, because Nurmagomedov will be vulnerable coming off of such a devastating injury. But he’ll still present one of, if not the, most dangerous grappling challenges Alvarez has ever taken on.
He was repeatedly taken down by Michael Chandler in his split decision win at Bellator 106 last November, his last fight. While he persevered to take the fight in the striking department, he may not be upright long enough to hit Nurmagomedov with that many punches.
