Brandon Gibson, Jon Jones’ striking coach, has given his breakdown of some of the UFC’s biggest upcoming fights.
MMA fans were left stunned when it was announced that Khamzat Chimaev would face Nate Diaz in the latter’s final fight on his UFC contract. Chimaev is the No.3-ranked welterweight and is quickly becoming one of the biggest stars in the organization.
Diaz, a star in his own right, has been at odds with the UFC for months and has expressed his desire to leave on multiple occasions. The two fighters have put pen to paper for a main-event clash at UFC 279 in September.
Brandon Gibson predicted how the highly anticipated welterweight bout will go:
“Khamzat [Chimaev] is showing what an explosive fighter he is. He went on that amazing streak with so many finishes in a very quick time. He’s powerful, he’s explosive, he’s very dangerous and he’s very game. The fans and coaches were able to see some flaws in his style in that fight with Gilbert Burns.”
Gibson added:
“There’s one thing that Diaz brings, it’s that resilience and durability and his volume. He wears guys down, lots of volume, lots of combinations, lots of striking. He’s going to have to weather the storm and fatigue Khamzat. I do think Khamzat’s power and his explosiveness will mean he gets his hand raised in a dominating fashion.”
Brandon Gibson predicts Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
In the same interview, Brandon Gibson was also asked about the lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.
‘Do Bronx’, a former 155lb champion, was controversially stripped of the title for missing weight earlier this year. The Brazilian shrugged off the controversy and defeated Justin Gaethje to earn himself a shot at winning his title back.
Both Makhachev (10) and Oliveira (11) are on impressive win-streaks in the octagon. They will put them on the line as they decide on the new king of the lightweight division in Abu Dhabi at UFC 280 in October.
Speaking about the upcoming lightweight title fight, Gibson said:
“It is interesting. Charles [Oliveira] is really finding his stride as a champion… He has shown that he’s hittable but he’s durable. He’s explosive, he’s quick. Islam [Makhachev], the Dagestani style is such a grind. They’re the best chain wrestlers in the world… He has one of the GOATs in Khabib [Nurmagomedov] in his corner too… I think we may see more of a striking match and if that’s the case, I give the style advantage to Charles early on. I gotta go with the champ right now.”
Catch the full interview bellow: