Conor McGregor’s camp will adjust accordingly to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s strengths if their long-anticipated fight becomes a reality.

But the approach to the challenge of Nurmagomedov (26-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) will remain much the same, said McGregor’s (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) longtime striking coach Owen Roddy.

“We all sit down, and we look at where the holes are and what we can do to exploit the opponent,” Roddy told MMAjunkie. “Khabib brings a lot of problems, as do all fighters. But he’s not bulletproof. It’s not an impossible code to crack.”

You could forgive the general public for thinking otherwise given Nurmagomedov’s penchant for turning seasoned strikers into training dummies. The 29-year-old Dagestani champ is unbeaten as a professional precisely because no one has been able to stay upright long enough to touch his chin hard enough.

That’s what Roddy considers fun about the fight. Nurmagomedov is another stylistic challenge to deconstruct.

“You just have to see where those openings are and put the shots in,” he said. “So that would be my role. Obviously, we would be bringing in a wrestling coach, and (McGregor head coach) John (Kavanagh) would be working the overall game and jiu-jitsu game.

“It’s another day at the office. It’s great fun fighting these different opponents that bring different threats. It’s always exciting to try to come up with a game plan to beat them, and that’s what we do. We try stuff. If it works, we keep it. If it doesn’t work, we get rid of it.”

Nurmagomedov recently informed his fans that the UFC is working on pairing him against McGregor toward the end of the year. He also broached the possibility of facing ex-welterweight and middleweight champ Georges St-Pierre and the winner of a rematch between ex-champ Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier.

Stalled contract negotiations prompted the UFC to put McGregor’s lightweight title up for grabs in April, when Nurmagomedov took on Al Iaquinta – a short-notice replacement for featherweight champ Max Holloway – at UFC 223. Nurmagomedov ran roughshod over his opponent, capturing the belt after five rounds.

McGregor hasn’t fought in the octagon since November 2016, when he captured the lightweight title from Alvarez. He then left MMA to box Floyd Mayweather for “The Money Fight” this past August.

McGregor reportedly banked over $100 million for the boxing match, which he lost via 10th round TKO. Speculation ran wild on whether McGregor would return to the boxing ring, the UFC’s octagon, or retire with his riches.

McGregor eventually signaled he will return to the UFC, but an ill-advised attack at a bus carrying fighters on UFC 223 – including Nurmagomedov – prompted his arrest on multiple charges of criminal mischief. A hearing on the matter was recently delayed, possibly to allow his attorneys to work out a plea deal with prosecutors. He apologized for his role in the incident.

At the time of the interview, Roddy couldn’t offer any details on the status of McGregor’s negotiations with the UFC, or when and where a potential fight with Nurmagomedov would take place. He only promised to ready McGregor to the best of his ability.

“If the people kick up enough fuss and get behind that fight, I think it will happen,” Roddy said. “Conor will fight the person that brings the biggest draw. That’s the way he’s always fought. If it is Khabib, that’s the next fight. But I don’t know yet.”

Asked about Nurmagomedov’s striking skills, Roddy didn’t write off the current champ’s abilities. But in a matchup against McGregor, it’s a different story.

“Khabib’s striking, it’s good,” he said. “It’s (worked for) him in his other fights, but he’s definitely not at the level of striking that Conor’s at. Nobody is. Conor’s by far the best striker in MMA, in my opinion.”

And so, if the champions are to meet, it will be Roddy’s job to help identify the opportunities to find Nurmgomedov’s chin.

“There are always openings, whether you’re a wrestler or a kickboxer or jiu-jitsu guy,” he said. “The fight always starts standing, so there’s always opportunities to land strikes, and everybody leaves openings. I’m sure we can land shots on Khabib – most definitely.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.