Coach Mark Henry explains why Eddie Alvarez has “best chance” to defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who now owns an insane overall record of 26-0, is looking more and more like an unstoppable force. In the opinion of renowned MMA coach Mark Henry, however, his pupil Eddie Alvarez has all the prerequisites to crack the Nurmagomedov code.

Henry explained why he believes the former champ Eddie Alvarez has a good chance at defeating Khabib Nurmagomedov in an interview with MMAWeekly.

“I just feel people don’t know Eddie’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu is off the hook,” Henry said. “I feel the one that would have the best chance, that lines up best with Khabib stylistically is definitely Eddie. Eddie’s not afraid of anything. Eddie could definitely defend the shot and his jiu-jitsu is off the hook,” Alvarez’s head coach Mark Henry told MMAWeekly about the potential matchup.”

“Most of all, Eddie’s crazy,” Henry continued. “He’s out of his mind. That definitely counts for something. He’s a veteran and his game is getting better and better. I definitely think he lines up with Khabib better than anyone.”

While Henry is well aware of Nurmagomedov’s world-class grappling skill, he feels Alvarez has the takedown defense to make the fight competitive.

“His wrestling is great,” the coach said. “Someone will shoot on him and sometimes he’ll be a little late on his defense and his hips are so good, even when he sees the shot and defends it late, his hips are so good. He’s so stocky and strong, it’s like hitting a brick wall sometimes going to shoot on him. His wrestling defense is amazing. His jiu-jitsu is amazing.”

“I’ve seen Eddie spar thousands of rounds and I’m not sure I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him on his back much less taken down much,” he added.

At present, Eddie Alvarez is gearing up for a July rematch with Dustin Poirier, who he battled to a disappointing contest back in May of 2017. Khabib Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, does not have a fight scheduled, but is expected to return to action sometime in the fall.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/22/2018.