Dan Hardy reveals why he's "50/50" on Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje after weigh-ins

UFC commentator and former fighter Dan Hardy has an interesting take on the upcoming Lightweight title unification main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.

While Khabib Nurmagomedov is essentially a favorite in every fight he takes part in, there was some questioning over his recent weight cut. Khabib Nurmagomedov was the first to step on the scale and weigh in successfully at 155.

However, the relief on his face, his overall look, and demeanor had changed, suggesting that the weight cut was anything but smooth.

Dan Hardy took notice of this and on the BT Sport broadcast, explained the significance of it and why he's giving Justin Gaethje a 50/50 chance against Khabib Nurmaomedov (H/T MMA Mania):

"If we hear the hooter for the fourth round it's all Gaethje for me!""I'm more 50/50 after seeing Khabib on the scales."@DanHardyMMA and @Peety_Editor give their final thoughts for the #UFC254 main event. pic.twitter.com/CiTOtN7WwV

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) October 23, 2020

"I’m a little more 50/50 after seeing Khabib stepping on the scale,” Hardy admitted. “Because I still don’t know the situation with him being so close to the weight and needing the towel. The fact that he was the first one on the scale was still a big statement.”

Dan Hardy stated that the longer it goes, the more it could favor Justin Gaethje:

“If we get into the fourth round it starts to swing toward Gaethje,” Hardy added. “Those first two rounds are going to be very difficult for him to win against Khabib. There’s no doubt about it. And the question is, how does his conditioning hold up after 10 minutes of wrestling. Does he get into the third round with punching power or does he start to look slow and a little bit broken in his conditioning.”

Is Justin Gaethje the toughest fight stylistically for Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Justin Gaethje can be a bit of a wild card on the feet, which is why many feel he could present Khabib Nurmagomedov with the toughest fight of his career. It'll be interesting to see Justin Gaethje finally forced to utilize his wrestling when he's pressed up against the cage.

We're going to be seeing a lot of Justin Gaethje staying in the center of the Octagon, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will be able to handle Khabib Nurmagomedov's pressure.