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UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje
VS
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje
22-2 · USA
October 24, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Lightweight · 5 rounds · Main event
155.0lb
Weigh-in
155.0lb
Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Justin Gaethje by SUB (Triangle Choke), R2 1:34
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1
Nurmagomedov23/601/200:41
Gaethje23/360/000:00
R2 · 1:34
Nurmagomedov3/201/100:14
Gaethje6/90/000:14
Total
Nurmagomedov26/802/300:55
Gaethje29/450/000:14

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
NurmagomedovWin probabilityGaethje
68.0%32.0%
KO / TKO
31%
Submission
16%
Decision
53%
Expected fight time: 17.9 min
Retrospective pick: the walk-forward model's call at the time of the fight — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Nurmagomedov, blue toward Gaethje. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Nurmagomedov68%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO13%20%
Submission14%20%
Decision41%60%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes104 (44142)act 26
Takedowns3.2 (0.07.5)act 2
Gaethje32%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO18%56%
Submission2%6%
Decision12%38%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes68 (2992)act 29
Takedowns0.1 (0.00.0)act 0
Combined totals~172 sig strikes~3.3 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R115%
R213%
R39%
R46%
R54%
Distance53%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 0.5%
Nurmagomedov
63.5%-177
Gaethje
+17735.9%
Most takedownstie 11.3%
Nurmagomedov
87.0%-4949
Gaethje
+49491.8%
Significant strikes — over/under
Nurmagomedov
Expected: 104.4
104.5
Over 104.5
39.7%
+152
Under 104.5
60.3%
-152
0131261
Gaethje
Expected: 67.7
67.5
Over 67.5
39.9%
+150
Under 67.5
60.1%
-150
085170
Takedowns — over/under
Nurmagomedov
Expected: 3.2
3
Over 3
42.4%
+103
Exactly 3
13.8%
push
Under 3
43.8%
-103
0510
Gaethje
Expected: 0.1
0
Over 0
7.3%
Exactly 0
92.7%
push
Under 0
0.0%
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 17.9 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Nurmagomedov68.0%72.9%−4.9-315
Gaethje32.0%27.1%+4.9+255

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
79.7Striking70.6
Nurmagomedov +9.1
79.2Grappling22.2
Nurmagomedov +57.0
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
NurmagomedovGaethje
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1721
Pound-for-pound
1624
1705
Divisional
1622
1499
Striking offense
1540
1530
Striking defense
1485
1558
Grappling offense
1489
1547
Grappling defense
1524
Physical
32 yrs
Age
31 yrs
5'10"
Height
5'11"
70"
Reach
70"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
4.11
Strikes landed / min
7.74
50%
Strike accuracy
59%
1.64
Strikes absorbed / min
8.37
67%
Strike defense
54%
Grappling (UFC career)
5.35
Takedowns / 15 min
0.00
48%
Takedown accuracy
0%
85%
Takedown defense
80%
0.7
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.0
Form & résumé
100%
UFC win rate
71%
+12
Win/loss streak
+4
100%
Last-5 win rate
80%
50%
Finish rate
100%
Recent opp. quality
413
Days since last fight
168
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Khabib Nurmagomedov
  • WDustin PoirierSUB R3
    Close -4001y 2mo before
  • WConor McGregorSUB R4
    Close -1902y 1mo before
  • WAl IaquintaU-DEC R5
    Close -6402y 7mo before
  • WEdson BarbozaU-DEC R3
    Close -4102y 10mo before
  • WMichael JohnsonSUB R3
    Close -3453y 11mo before
Justin Gaethje
  • WTony FergusonKO/TKO R5
    Close +1586mo before
  • WDonald CerroneKO/TKO R1
    Close -1851y 1mo before
  • WEdson BarbozaKO/TKO R1
    Close +1001y 7mo before
  • WJames VickKO/TKO R1
    Close +1202y 2mo before
  • LDustin PoirierKO/TKO R4
    Close +1052y 6mo before
Nurmagomedov — win / loss by method
Record: 28-0-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
8 wins, 0 losses
W
29% of wins
L
Submission
10 wins, 0 losses
W
36% of wins
L
Decision
10 wins, 0 losses
W
36% of wins
L
UFC
12win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (17%)KO/TKO() 0
4 (33%)Submission() 0
6 (50%)Decision() 0
Non-UFC
16win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
6 (38%)KO/TKO() 0
6 (38%)Submission() 0
4 (25%)Decision() 0
Gaethje — win / loss by method
Record: 22-2-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
19 wins, 2 losses
W
86% of wins
L
100% of losses
Submission
1 win, 0 losses
W
5% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
2 wins, 0 losses
W
9% of wins
L
0% of losses
UFC
5win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
5 (100%)KO/TKO(100%) 2
0 (0%)Submission(0%) 0
0 (0%)Decision(0%) 0
Non-UFC
17win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
14 (82%)KO/TKO() 0
1 (6%)Submission() 0
2 (12%)Decision() 0

Profiles

Experience
Nurmagomedov
Gaethje
12
UFC fights
7
165.3 min · 13.8 avg
Octagon time
71.2 min · 10.2 avg
17y 10m
Career length
14y 11m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Nurmagomedov
Gaethje
216W–65L · 76.9%
Overall
161W–43L · 78.9%
216W–65L · 76.9%
Wins
111W–33L · 77.1%
0W–0L
Losses
50W–10L · 83.3%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Nurmagomedov
Gaethje
59W–48L · 55.1%
Overall
244W–97L · 71.6%
59W–48L · 55.1%
Wins
244W–97L · 71.6%
0W–0L
Losses
0W–0L
Distance striking
Nurmagomedov
Gaethje
4.16
Landed / min
7.43
34.0%
Accuracy
57.0%
70.3%
Defense
56.2%
0.18
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.63
39.7%
Time at distance
90.3%
Grappling & control
Nurmagomedov
Gaethje
5.35
Takedowns / 15 min
0.00
47.6%
Takedown accuracy
0.0%
84.6%
Takedown defense
80.0%
0.73
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.00
97.6%
Control share
68.1%
Strike target map
Nurmagomedov
  • Head86%(586)div 63%
  • Body9%(58)div 20%
  • Legs5%(35)div 17%
Gaethje
  • Head60%(330)div 63%
  • Body9%(48)div 20%
  • Legs31%(173)div 17%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Khabib Nurmagomedov
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Justin Gaethje
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.