Kenny Florian names three fighters who could beat Khabib Nurmagomedov

So far, nobody has been able to solve the Khabib Nurmagomedov puzzle.

27 fighters have tried — including monsters like Conor McGregor, Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Johnson — but none have been able to beat the Dagestani juggernaut.

Kenny Florian, a three-time UFC title challenger and current UFC analyst, believes beating Khabib Nurmagomedov is possible. It’s just a matter of finding the right fighter with the right skills.

He believes featherweight BJJ whiz Ryan Hall could be one of those fighters.

“Ryan Hall,” Florian stated on the Pull No Punches podcast when asked which fighters he believes could dethrone Khabib Nurmagomedov. “It sounds crazy because he’s a 145-pounder, but you either need to be an absolute ninja on the ground, right? You need someone who can always put you on defense — someone like a Ryan Hall on the ground. Or you need someone who can absolutely keep it on the feet.”

Florian also named two other fighters he can envision beating Khabib Nurmagomedov: former two-division champ Georges St-Pierre and current lightweight contender Justin Gaethje.

“We have Georges St-Pierre,” he said. “He does have a very high level of wrestling. He’s also very big. That probably not going to happen. GSP it seems is retired for good now. As she should, he absolutely deserves that and has done everything in the sport that you can do.

“Justin Gaethje,” Florian added. “He comes from a wrestling background and he does hit extremely hard. I think he’s one of the few guys who might be able to give Khabib a tough time. If he does stuff the takedowns he does have the power in the striking to knockout Khabib.”

What do you think of these comments from Kenny Florian. Which fighters do you think could defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/22/2019.