The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 10:04 PM]
Khabib Nurmagomedov is not the first person who would spring to mind for many looking for an explanation of romantic comedy plots.
That being said, there are many out there who would agree wholeheartedly with his interpretations. theChive caught up with the Russian fighter ahead of his lightweight interim championship title fight at UFC 209 this coming Saturday, as part of a sponsored media exercise prior to the most anticipated card of 2017 so far.
Nurmagomedov was given a number of plots of popular “chick-flicks” and asked how he felt about each of them. The opportunity to take a jaunt into the world of movie reviews seemed as equally bemusing to Khabib as it must to those who have watched the clip. This, however, is comedy gold.
You can watch the full clip above.
UFC 209 features Nurmagomedov’s fight against Tony Ferguson and is headlined by the welterweight rematch title fight featuring champion Tyron Woodley and contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says the UFC plans on having top lightweight contender Islam Makhachev fight for the belt at the end of 2022.
Makhachev put on another dominant performance against short-notice replacement Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49. He was originally supposed to face Beneil Dariush before Dariush withdrew from the bout due to an injury.
Makhachev entered UFC Vegas 49 as the fourth-ranked lightweight contender in the UFC and is assumingly the next man in line for the title shot. UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will face Justin Gaethje for his latest title defense later this year at UFC 274.
“A couple days ago, when we meet with Dana, we was talking about, ‘Hey, what’s next?’” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev. “He’s like, ‘Hey, you have to fight with Bobby Green first. I’m like, ‘Dana, it’s not like—they’re not same level.’ Of course, we don’t underestimate him, but if Islam catch him, it’s finished, you know?
Islam Makhachev, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“And he (said) ‘I’m really focused on Islam fight winner of Charles [Oliveira] vs. Justin Gaethje, end of this year.’ Dana (said) they gonna make very big show in Abu Dhabi end of this year. And I think it is this place Islam gonna compete, fight for the title.”
Makhachev has been seen as the heir apparent to Nurmagomedov for years. He is on a 10-fight winning streak and has soared to the top of the lightweight division’s title picture.
Entering UFC Vegas 49, Makhachev had earned three-straight submission wins in 2021 over Thiago Moisés, Drew Dober, and Dan Hooker. A loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 is the lone blemish on his otherwise stellar record.
Makhachev, Nurmagomedov, and the other Dagestani fighters are seen as heroes in Abu Dhabi. If Makhachev earns a title shot on Fight Island, it would arguably make the biggest stage of his career that much bigger.
Do you think Islam Makhachev will earn the lightweight title in 2022?
Chael Sonnen thinks Gregor Gillespie could’ve gotten the upper hand against former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in the Octagon.
Gillespie’s lone defeat in his MMA career came by way of a head kick against Kevin Lee at UFC 244. Outside of that, he has mauled all of his opponents, including most recently Diego Ferreira last May.
Gillespie’s always been known to have a grappling-first style when it comes to fighting. Sonnen believes this could’ve challenged Nurmagomedov as he made his rise in the lightweight division and his tenure as the champion.
During a segment on his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained why he believes Gillespie could’ve beaten Nurmagomedov while both were competing in the UFC.
“When I would have private conversations… people would ask me all the time, is there anyone that could beat Khabib. Who’s the guy that can stop Khabib and in private conversations I would say we actually have a guy now,” Sonnen said. “He’s 11-0, he’s a national wrestling champion, nobody’s ever come close to taking him down, he’s taken absolutely everybody down, oh, and by the way, he can hold up.
A victorious Gregor Gillespie, Image Credit: UFC.com
“One thing that Khabib could do was push a pace that was much higher than what the opponent could push back. (Gregor) made his living getting people tired. That’s how highly I personally think of him. Now in all fairness, I did not do that publicly but the reason I didn’t do that publicly was you didn’t know what a Gregor Gillespie was.” (h/t PunditArena)
Gillespie’s loss to Lee knocked him out of the lightweight title picture, and he’s still hoping to get back in the thick of things at 155 pounds. He’s allegedly had trouble finding a next opponent, but he recently called out former interim champ Tony Ferguson for a fight.
Nurmagomedov left the fight game in 2020 after the death of his father, Abdulmanap. His last fight in the Octagon came against Justin Gaethje in a second-round submission.
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou should box Tyson Fury for the big payday.
Ngannou has alluded to moving to boxing down the line, potentially when his current UFC deal comes to a close. He’s been at odds with the UFC brass regarding a new deal and has advocated for changing the promotion’s pay structure.
“If they fight in the UFC yeah, Fury doesn’t have too many chances,” Nurmagomedov said. “But in boxing, I don’t see anyone even touching his face—maybe Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk is going to be a tough challenge for Fury. But Ngannou? I think he has to stay with the UFC. But if he goes to boxing and he’s making 50 or 60 million dollars— he has to. Why not?
“I know Ngannou comes from a very, very poor life in Africa. He was with no money, no home, nothing. So if someone pays you more money then go and take.” (h/t The Sun)
Ngannou most recently defended his UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He suffered a significant knee injury leading up to the event and is expected to miss some time following surgery.
Fury most recently defeated Deontay Wilder in their trilogy last year and has been in negotiations to fight Dillian Whyte next. Nevertheless, both Ngannou and Fury have traded barbs on social media and are interested in a future clash.
Do you want to see Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou?
Nurmagomedov and Holloway faced off in the virtual reality boxing game Creed: Rise To Glory. UFC commentator Daniel Cormier and lightweight contender Islam Makhachev were among those in attendance for the match.
Nurmagomedov and Holloway used the Oculus VR headset and controllers to fight in the virtual boxing match. Both UFC stars had their moments in the ring, but ultimately Nurmagomedov came out on top with a massive knockout.
Nurmagomedov participated in the event at the American Kickboxing Academy gym, while Holloway could be seen fighting in his living room. Nurmagomedov talked trash to Holloway throughout the fight.
Check out footage of the fight below courtesy of YouTuber FightNight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt7twerRa0A
The event was put together by Legionfarm and attendees had to purchase at least one Legionfarm NFT to sit in the virtual crowd. The fight took place just hours before the UFC 271 card got underway in Houston, TX.
Nurmagomedov and Holloway were supposed to fight back at UFC 223 before Holloway pulled out due to an illness. Holloway stepped up on short notice after Nurmagomedov’s original opponent, Tony Ferguson, withdrew due to an injury sustained during fight week.
Holloway is looking to bounce back in 2022 with another push for the featherweight title, while Nurmagomedov is planning on a busy year as a promoter for Eagle FC.
What is your reaction to this metaverse fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway?
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor ripped boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on social media over the weekend after Fury praised McGregor’s old rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, in a tweet.
Nurmagomedov retired from MMA on top of the sport in 2020 following a title defense against Justin Gaethje.
Fury and McGregor are known as arguably two of the brashest personalities in combat sports today. Fury most recently defeated Deontay Wilder in one of the best trilogies in boxing history.
“This man did it right. Got in and won [gold] and got out on top,” Fury tweeted in support of Nurmagomedov.
Nearly two weeks after the original tweet, McGregor weighed in on Fury’s support of his rival Nurmagomedov while also mocking Fury’s response to his Billy Joe Saunders’ father’s altercation with security at a Canelo Alvarez boxing event.
“Yup the Joyces. Big Joe!” McGregor said. “You bottled it with Billy Joe Da, what were you doing there? You left him, Versace twat. You. Done. Nothing. Ya’s did it right ye right [laughs]. Even when I’m wrong I’m right. Who did it right? The Mac daddy tonight, in house. Miami d12! Bahamas.”
Fury responded to McGregor by mocking his recent struggles in the UFC.
come back when u win a fight mush, & the difference in me & you is i don’t get myself in trouble & people actually like me, your just a bully who hit old man, 😎 & yes Big up the hulk Joe, #morecambebay. in the house.👍
“Come back when you win a fight mush,” Fury said. “And the difference in me and you is I don’t get myself in trouble and people actually like me, your just a bully who hit old man, and yes big up the hulk Joe.”
McGregor and Fury are both anticipating returns to the fight game in 2022. McGregor has been sidelined since suffering a leg injury at UFC 264, and Fury has been in negotiations to potentially box Dillian Whyte next.
McGregor and Fury appeared to be on mutually respectful terms after McGregor offered to train him in MMA. But it appears that friendship has fizzled out, and the two no longer see each other in a positive light.
What do you make of the recent Conor McGregor/Tyson Fury squabble?
Former UFC champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway will finally face off in the Octagon.
Well, sort of.
Nurmagomedov and Holloway will participate in what’s being advertised as the first Metaverse fight in world history on February 12. Viewers will be able to attend the event by purchasing at least one Legionfarm NFT.
Nurmagomedov’s former American Kickboxing Academy teammates, Daniel Cormier and Islam Makhachev will be featured guests at the event. Cormier will then turn around and be part of the UFC 271 commentary team in Houston, TX.
“Are you ready to make history?” Holloway said. “On February 12, Legionfarm, a place where gamers meet and play with PRO players, will be hosting an epic event in Mozilla Hubs Metaverse with the First Metaverse Fight in the history of the Earth between Khabib Nurmagomedov and me. And you are invited to witness it.” (h/t MMA Mania)
Holloway and Nurmagomedov nearly squared off in the UFC Octagon at UFC 223. This was after Nurmagomedov’s original opponent, Tony Ferguson, pulled out with an injury just days before the event.
Holloway was then ruled physically unfit to compete on short notice against Nurmagomedov and Al Iaquinta ended up getting the title shot. Nurmagomedov defeated him via a unanimous decision to earn the lightweight title.
Nurmagomedov has retired from professional MMA and currently promotes Eagle FC. Holloway is looking to earn another featherweight title shot in 2022.
The following article was published on this day two years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 6, 2020, 5:26 PM]
Headline: Khabib Compares Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone To ‘Well-Organized Circus’
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t believe Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone was fixed but he does feel the UFC did its best to ensure McGregor was made to look unstoppable.
McGregor shared the Octagon with Cerrone on Jan. 18. The welterweight bout served as UFC 246’s headliner. McGregor vs. Cerrone was held inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The “Notorious” one stopped “Cowboy” in 40 seconds via TKO.
Khabib Not Impressed By McGregor’s Win Over Cerrone
Speaking to reporters, Nurmagomedov explained why he compares McGregor vs. Cerrone to a “well-organized circus” (via RT News).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8LrJeyfCB0
“A big organization with a lot of history won’t take such risks,” he explained. “If someone finds out that the fight was fixed, it would be a huge blow to the UFC’s reputation. They picked a good opponent though – an opponent that never won anything serious. He could have kept winning and winning and when it came time for a big fight, and just gave up because he’s mentally weak. It’s just a well-organized circus.”
Nurmagomedov has his next title defense scheduled. He’ll put his UFC lightweight championship on the line against Tony Ferguson on April 18. The title clash will be the main event for UFC 249 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
As for McGregor, UFC president Dana White has made it clear that he wants “Mystic Mac” to challenge the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. McGregor doesn’t appear to want to wait that long and has been mulling a quick return to action.
The bad blood between Nurmagomedov and McGregor still lingers. The two were engaged in a heated feud that involved a confrontation between Team Khabib and Artem Lobov in a hotel lobby and a bus attack involving McGregor and his entourage. Ultimately, Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor back in Oct. 2018 and it led to a brawl in the crowd between both camps.
When Khabib leaped into the audience during the UFC 229 post-fight brawl, famed Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio nearly made an unwanted cameo appearance as this article published on this day three years ago details.
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is brought to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2019, 12:31 PM]
Title: Khabib Nurmagomedov Nearly Landed on Leonardo DiCaprio During UFC 229 Brawl
Author: Damon Martin
Khabib Nurmagomedov may have been aiming at Dillon Danis during the UFC 229 post-fight brawl but he nearly gave Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio flashbacks of the time a bear mauled him in the film ‘The Revenant’.
The entire situation unraveled just seconds after Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor this past October by fourth-round rear-naked choke.
Almost immediately after Nurmagomedov secured the victory, he leaped over the cage and went after McGregor’s teammate who was working his corner that night. The moment the undefeated UFC champion made his way over the cage, a huge melee broke out in the crowd.
It turns out when Nurmagomedov made that jump, he nearly landed on the Oscar winner, who was sitting cage side at the time for the fights.
“Honestly, I didn’t recognize them, apart from Leonardo DiCaprio,” Nurmagomedov said about the celebrities sitting in the first row when he jumped out of the Octagon when speaking to MatchTV in Russia. “He is a big fan of martial arts. He told me, ‘I was sitting five meters away, you nearly landed on me!’ It was interesting for me how he would sit there [amid so many people].
“He’s a regular guy, but it was surprising to me, when people came up to him for a photo, he said ‘I don’t take photos.’ I asked why, and he said it’s not possible to make everyone happy. He said he only takes photos with kids. With everyone else, it’s not possible. That surprised me, but in general, he’s a regular guy.”
Nurmagomedov found out about nearly falling on DiCaprio when he met the actor in Paris a few months ago — and he did manage to get a photo taken with him.
As for the repercussions from that post-fight brawl, Nurmagomedov was just recently sentenced to a nine-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission as well as fined $500,000 for his actions.
Nurmagomedov could have his suspension reduced by three months if he completes an approved anti-bullying message for the state of Nevada but as of now, the reigning UFC lightweight champion has said he has no plans to record that public service announcement and will instead serve his full nine-month suspension.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes his UFC 229 main event with Conor McGregor was a bigger fight than the Irishman’s blockbuster boxing showdown with Floyd Mayweather.
While the battle of boxing vs. MMA has essentially become a norm in today’s crossover culture, back then it was as historical as it was lucrative.
Following one of the most covered and notable international media tours and build-ups combat sports has ever seen, the pair shared the squared circle inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. After going nine rounds with the boxing GOAT contender, McGregor was finished in the 10th frame.
Four years ago today Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor by TKO in the 10th round.
The numbers behind the clash were staggering. The contest grossed a remarkable $938 million, sitting in second on the all-time list behind only Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s 2015 match ($960 million). That feat certainly doesn’t need any more context, but here’s some anyway; the third highest-grossing fight (Mayweather vs. Canelo Álvarez – 2013) raked in $304 million, over $600 million less than ‘The Money Fight’.
What did all that help secure? A reported $280 million purse for “Money” Mayweather and a $130 million boost for the “Notorious” McGregor.
Khabib: McGregor vs. Mayweather Was More “Fake”
While Mayweather vs. McGregor is widely regarded as one of, if not the, biggest fights of all time, one man shares a different sentiment.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the leading contenders in the debate surrounding the greatest of all time in the UFC, believes his own grudge match with McGregor clearly surpassed Mayweather’s.
During an appearance on the Full Send Podcast, “The Eagle” cited the background to the UFC 229 main event and the memorable nature of the fight as the reasons why no other matchup comes close, especially not the “sparring” session between Mayweather and McGregor.
“For sure this is biggest fight in history of martial arts. Nothing close, I think,” said Khabib. “Even when he fight with Mayweather, it’s like, ‘OK.’ But not many people care about this fight. It was historical event: MMA champion vs. boxing champion.
“But inside the fight, many people, they don’t even remember what happened inside the fight. For example, in what round referee stop this fight? Most of the people don’t remember,” continued Khabib. “They don’t remember because it was like sparring fight. For me, it was not real fight because (McGregor) is not real boxer. And Mayweather, what he did—for me, it was like more fake fight. This just my opinion, maybe not.
“And then what was between us, it was real. And everything (that) happened before the fight, inside the fight, after the fight (was real),” concluded Khabib.
While it attracted 2.4 million PPV buys, leaving daylight to the UFC’s second-highest tally in that regard, can it be regarded as “bigger” across all aspects than Mayweather vs. McGregor? It’s certainly an interesting debate to have.
Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t taking Jake Paul’s challenge all that seriously.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov knows a trolljob when he hears one. When the Dagestani caught wind that Paul was teasing making a crossover into MMA, he offered to make his Eagle FC promotion the YouTuber’s MMA home. Paul then came back with the following counteroffer:
по рукам. только если я буду драться с тобой первым.
Jake Paul has said in the past that Khabib is the only fighter that he would never troll and that if he ever did call him out, it would be respectful. So maybe this isn’t a trolljob after all but rather the respectful callout he prophesized last fall.
When appearing on The Full Send Podcast, Khabib was asked to respond to Paul’s proposal. During his young career as an MMA promoter, the Dagestani has proven that he is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to grow the Eagle FC brand. But unretiring in order to fight an 0-0 Jake Paul is not a sacrifice this dedicated boss is willing to make.
And Khabib believes that the former Disney actor is very fortunate that is the case.
“Come on. Come on, Jake Paul. I don’t think so. In MMA, like couple minutes,” Khabib said of a potential bout between the two athletes.
Khabib may be willing to give Paul an opportunity to gain experience in Eagle FC, but from the little bit of footage he’s seen, a competition between the two of them isn’t worthy of any serious deliberation.
“He late a little bit. ’Cause I’m finished,” Khabib said. “Of course, they can think about this. I watched his—it was sparring or I watch some video (of him) doing MMA with someone. He have to learn a lot.”
Khabib may be referring to a video Paul released of him training leg kicks. He may also be referring to a dated video of the YouTuber getting submitted by Bellator’s AJ Agazarm in 2017. Either way, the undefeated grappler thinks Paul would be better served fighting a more handpicked opponent that is more suitable for a beginner.
“If he want, we can give him chance,” Khabib said. “We can sign him, and we can pay him. And we’ll see.”
Would you have any interest in watching Khabib maul—I mean fight Jake Paul?
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2019, 1:16 PM]
Archives: Dana White Disagrees With ‘Harsh’ Punishment Handed Down to Khabib Nurmagomedov
Author: Damon Martin
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to pay a $500,000 fine for his role in the infamous post-fight brawl that he initiated following his win over Conor McGregor last October.
Just seconds after Nurmagomedov secured a fourth-round rear-naked choke finish, he leaped over the cage to go after McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis, who was working in his corner for the fight.
Chaos ensued immediately afterwards but security quickly contained the ugly incident but the commission wasn’t going to let it go without handing down some stiff penalties for everybody involved.
Nurmagoemdov was dinged with the $500,000 fine and a six-month suspension assuming he completes an approved anti-bullying public service announcement for the state of Nevada. Meanwhile, McGregor was hit with a $50,000 fine and a six-month suspension and both fighters should be eligible to return after April 6.
UFC president Dana White has definitely gone back and forth with the Nevada Commission in the past over certain decisions that have been made and in this case, he believes Nurmagomedov got a raw deal when it comes to his punishment for the brawl.
“I was obviously surprised by how much they put on Khabib,” White told ESPN on Wednesday. “You’ve got a half-a-million dollars and six months [suspension] if he does some [public service announcements]. What he did was wrong, he jumped out, we had the whole thing contained in seconds.
“I don’t know. It was a little harsh in my opinion but it is what it is.”
The commission also took exception to the excessing amount of trash talking between Nurmagomedov and McGregor that led to their fight at UFC 229.
As personal as things may have gotten, the fight ended up as the biggest UFC pay-per-view of all time while the promotion put out a study earlier this week showing more than $86 million in revenue was generated for the city of Las Vegas by that single event.
White obviously doesn’t agree with trying to police what the fighters are saying to each other in the lead up to a fight, especially when it oftentimes leads to the biggest rivalries in the history of the sport.
“Here’s the thing — it’s a fight. At the end of the day, it’s a fight,” White said. “Sometimes you come across people that don’t like each other and there’s a lot of bad blood. That was the case in this fight. This is what we do. This is the fight business. These guys are talking about fighters saying mean things to each other and all this other stuff.
“If you break it down and go back to when [Muhammad] Ali fought [Joe] Frazier and you look at the times when that happened, the stuff that he said about Frazier and saying to Frazier was horrible. Horrible things that you don’t say to somebody else back then.”
It’s tough to imagine the Nevada commission actually attempting to curb trash talk before a fight but either way they definitely made Nurmagomedov pay for his choices after the fight was over.
Through his manager Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov has reportedly stated that he will no longer fight in Nevada as a result of this harsh penalty.
Was the Nevada commission wrong to fine Khabib Nurmagomedov so much money? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Tony Ferguson still has his eyes set on Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were booked to fight one another five times but for a variety of reasons, the fight never happened. Ever since then, Ferguson has called out “The Eagle” and said he isn’t undefeated because he “lost” to him due to him pulling out multiple times.
Now, Ferguson has taken to social media to say he has something ready for Nurmagomedov when they go to battle.
“Got A Five Point Move Reserved For This Asshole When WeBattle,.. Ippon # TeamTiramisu4L -Champ,” Ferguson wrote on social media.
Ferguson is currently on a three-fight losing streak and during this losing skid, Nurmagomedov blasted “El Cucuy” saying he needs to retire.
“He is 38 years old,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview posted and translated by RT Sport. “Tell me how he can make a comeback? He was dominated in his last three bouts. Different styles – a striker, a grappler… Dariush, Oliveira, Gaethje, they all dominated him both standing up and on the ground. When you are 38, I believe, you have to pull the brakes and there have to be people around him to say: ‘Hey, you are aging, you have to stop.’”
Tony Ferguson is coming off back-to-back lopsided decision losses to Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira. Prior to those losses, he suffered a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 for the interim lightweight title.
Before the setbacks, Ferguson was riding a 12-fight winning streak and was also the former interim lightweight champion. He’s currently in talks to face Michael Chandler next time out in an all-action scrap.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, retired at 29-0 after his submission win over Justin Gaethje in 2020.
What do you make of Tony Ferguson’s latest shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov?
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day In MMA History…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2019, 12:33 PM]
Title: Khabib Receives Nine-Month Suspension & $500,000 Fine
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has received his punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
Nurmagomedov was awaiting a final punishment for his role in the UFC 229 brawl. After submitting Conor McGregor back in October 2018, Nurmagomedov leaped into the crowd and went after the “Notorious” one’s teammate Dillon Danis. This sparked a brawl and punches were thrown from Nurmagomedov’s team.
At a commission hearing earlier today (Jan. 29), it was determined that “The Eagle” will be suspended for nine months and fined $500,000. Nurmagomedov’s suspension can be reduced to six months if he partakes in an anti-bullying PSA. The suspension is retroactive to Oct. 6.
Nurmagomedov’s ruling was handed down before McGregor’s. The “Notorious” one ended up being suspended for six months retroactive to Oct. 6 and he must pay a $50,000 fine. Nurmagomedov’s teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov also received suspensions. Both men have been suspended for one year retroactive to Oct. 6 and will each pay a $25,000 fine.
Nurmagomedov took to his Twitter account and clearly wasn’t so enamored with McGregor’s suspension:
Many aren’t expecting Nurmagomedov to fight this summer as he will be celebrating Ramadan. It’s also unlikely that he will compete without Abubakar and Tukhugov in his corner.
What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s suspension?
As we now know, Khabib Nurmagomedov never did fight Tony Ferguson, much to the chagrin of millions of MMA fans. He did, however, fight Conor McGregor in what turned out to be arguably the biggest win of his legendary career.
Even though Khabib would later retire in 2020 after the sudden passing of his father Abdulmanap, two years earlier there were signs that the Eagle would glide off into an early retirement. This article published four years ago to this day was such a sign.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2018, 12:05 PM]
Headline: Manager: Khabib May Retire After Bouts With Ferguson & McGregor
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
It’s possible that Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t be competing for much longer.
Nurmagomedov is set to clash with Tony Ferguson on April 7 for what Dana White claims to be the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title. Conor McGregor will likely face the winner as he’s still recognized as the lightweight champion as well. Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson will headline UFC 223 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
It’s no secret that injuries and illness have plagued “The Eagle.” Nurmagomedov is 25-0, but his inability to show up on fight night at times has cost him. Now, the dominant 155-pounder insists he is finally ready to seize the moment. So much so, that his manager Ali Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports that McGregor’s title is meaningless (via MMAFighting.com):
“On fight night, Khabib will fight for the undisputed lightweight belt. My demands have been fulfilled. I can give a sh*t what everybody asks, what everybody’s saying. I don’t care if Conor’s stripped [or] not stripped. I know that April 7, Khabib will fight for the lightweight belt and Conor’s belt will go in the trash.”
He went on to say that Nurmagomedov may decide to retire if he beats Ferguson and McGregor.
“We’re gonna beat Tony. We’re gonna stop Tony in three rounds. Khabib’s probably gonna retire undefeated because he’s gonna beat Conor, he’s gonna beat Tony, and he’s probably gonna say ‘Bye-bye.’”
Do you see Nurmagomedov walking away from MMA if he beats Ferguson and McGregor? Sound off in the comments below.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to sign the polarizing YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul to Eagle FC in the future.
Nurmagomedov is just days away from hosting Eagle FC 44 in Miami, FL. The card will be headlined by kickboxer Tyrone Spong taking on former Bellator standout Sergei Kharitonov.
Nurmagomedov has managed to sign elite talent to Eagle FC since putting his promoter hat on. He most recently signed former UFC interim title challenger Kevin Lee following his dismissal from the UFC.
But Nurmagomedov has bigger plans for the promotion’s future and is interested in signing Paul for his planned transition to MMA. This is in direct contrast to his friend Daniel Cormier, who expressed his refusal to train Paul if he were to join American Kickboxing Academy.
During a recent tweet, Nurmagomedov expressed his interest in eventually adding Paul to the Eagle FC roster.
the doors of @EagleFightClub always open for you and your team.
Cormier and Nurmagomedov made their rise to championship status through their training at AKA. At present, Nurmagomedov seems more game to help Paul in his eventual move to MMA than Cormier is.
Cormier and Paul also have a bit of history, with the two of them coming face to face cageside at UFC 261. They also went back and forth last year on social media and in various interviews.
In addition to Eagle FC, the PFL and Bellator have remained interested in adding Paul to their respective rosters. It’s unclear how Paul will proceed going forward, but Nurmagomedov seems open to negotiations with the controversial boxer.
How do you think Jake Paul would fare in MMA? Should he sign with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC?
The following article was published on this day one year ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
We finally know the outcome of Dana White’s meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s shocking MMA retirement may be over almost as abruptly as it was announced. Yesterday, Khabib and Dana White had their long-anticipated meeting to confirm whether or not he was retired. The idea to have the meeting was brought up by Dana White when he believed the retirement may have been an emotional decision.
“Well, like I said, I thought that, in his last fight, his father had passed away, he’d been away from his family during that time, he got injured while he was training, and I thought that he made an emotional decision,” Dana White said on the UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar broadcast. “There was no reason to make a hasty decision like that then. We didn’t have to. I talked to him. I told him to take his time. We would get together later on. And last night, we did.”
Dana White Reveals Khabib’s Decision
White would go on to tell us the specifics of what was said in the meeting, but unfortunately, there still is no definitive answer on whether or not Khabib will fight again. But based on White’s paraphrasing of Khabib, it seems much more likely than not that we’ll see the champion defend the lightweight title again.
“And basically, the way that he feels right now is he’s accomplished everything he’s set out to accomplish. He thought that Oliveira looked really good in his last fight against Tony Ferguson. So next Saturday, we got the McGregor/Poirier fight and Chandler/Hooker on there.
“So his words to me were, ‘I’m gonna watch this fight.’ He said, ‘I would never tie up the division. I would never tie up the division, hold the belt, keep the belt away from anybody else. These guys do something spectacular, show me something spectacular, and make me want to come back and fight.’”
Charles Oliveira defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 and is currently ranked #3. Michael Chandler, of course, is unranked and may only able to make it up to #6 if he defeats Dan Hooker, who currently occupies that position. As for the UFC 257 headliners, Conor McGregor is ranked #4, and Dustin Poirier is ranked #1, so those two names may be in the best position to get the next crack at Khabib in terms of rankings in case you needed any more reason to watch that epic rematch.
UFC 257 takes place next Saturday, January 23, 2021 streaming live on ESPN+.
What’s your take on the outcome of the Dana White/Khabib meeting?
Javier Mendez is confident that both of his pupils in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev would beat Charles Oliveira with ease.
Oliveira is the current UFC lightweight champion and defended his belt for the first time in December with a submission win over Dustin Poirier. He is now likely to face Justin Gaethje sometime in the spring or summer. And should he win that, a bout against the winner of Makhachev-Beneil Dariush will be next.
Although Oliveira has looked dominant since he became the champ, American Kickboxing head coach Javier Mendez believes the former champ Nurmagomedov as well as Makhachev would be able to defeat the Brazilian.
“I know they both would beat Charles, in my opinion… Stylistically wise, Islam could strike, he can kick. Khabib wasn’t a great kicker,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Khabib would have to go straight to the grappling with Charles and probably dominate him there. As a matter of fact, I know he would. I know Khabib would dominate him there. And I kind of feel, my personal opinion, as great as Charles is, I think Islam would dominate him there too.”
USA Today
Of course, Nurmagomedov is retired and doesn’t seem too interested in ever returning to the Octagon again. However, there is a very real chance Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira fight in 2022 so we can see if the Dagestani fighter would really beat the Brazilian and become the new champion.
In order for him to even get the title shot, he will need to defeat Dariush in the main event of a Fight Night card on February 26. This is easier said than done, as Dariush has been on an incredible run. However, Mendez believes it is only a matter of time before Makhachev does what his longtime friend and teammate did: become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Do you think Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov would beat Charles Oliveira?
Jake Paul has been teasing a transition to MMA, which he recently stated would include training with AKA.
Jake Paul has taken the world of boxing by storm. He burst onto the scene and began to dismantle former UFC fighters one by one. Now, he is teasing a transition to MMA to continue his rise in combat sports.
Recently, he teased that he will be joining the top MMA gym American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). This is the home gym for UFC greats Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, and Cain Velasquez. Head coach of AKA Javier Mendez addressed this rumor of Paul joining the team in an interview with The Schmo.
“It could happen. But like anybody, we have to go through all the coaches and all the fighters that are here,” Mendez explained. “And anybody that’s a famous athlete like him, they would go through the routine that everybody does. So he would have to get voted by everybody—not everybody. If there’s one person in particular that doesn’t want him here for that particular reason, he can’t be here.”
Although Mendez is impressed with what Paul has been able to do so far in the boxing world, that doesn’t mean he will have the same effect in MMA. AKA has been the home to many top-ranked UFC fighters over the years but the addition of Paul could make some new waves for the gym. Mendez likes the fire Paul has lit for himself so far but says there have yet to be any actual discussions of Paul joining the team.
“First of all, he’s never asked. What he’s done is he’s marketed himself out there beautifully,” Mendez said. “I love the plug he gave us. I think it was a fantastic plug, and I think he is a fantastic person, and I think that he markets himself fantastic. I love what he does. He creates interest. How could you not like a guy who creates interest?”
Although there seems to be some level of interest from both parties, the deal to have Paul join the likes of Nurmagmoedov is far from set. Paul was involved with a public spat with AKA alum Daniel Cormier last year. The animosity between these two could be one thing that prevents the YouTuber from joining the AKA ranks, as everyone at AKA would have to sign off on his membership.
“I sent him a text of encouragement, a heartfelt message. I felt it was the right type of message to send because it was legit,” Mendez said. “And he, in turn, returned the favor by talking about training with us. But the reality is that no matter who you are, it could be the greatest fighter whatever you still have to go through the team to consent to train with us.”
Would you like to see Paul join AKA and begin his MMA career under Mendez and Nurmagomedov?
Former UFC welterweight Kevin Lee believes the promotion is heavily pushing Khamzat Chimaev in order to draw Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement.
Not many fighters have burst onto the scene quicker than Chimaev, yet alone twice in two years. In 2020, “Borz” established his name with consecutive victories over John Phillips and Rhys McKee in the space of just 10 days, marking a modern UFC record.
In his US debut a few months later, Chimaev showed his mettle at middleweight by knocking out divisional veteran Gerald Meerschaert. The fact he was booked to face elite contender Leon Edwards soon after his three unranked wins showed just how high the UFC was on the Chechen-born Swede.
But after a tough battle with COVID-19, which almost saw him retire from the sport, Chimaev’s rise was put on hold. His battle with the virus left him on the sidelines for over a year. When he returned, he immediately brought back the hype he accumulated the year before.
Against ranked opponent Li Jingliang at UFC 267, Chimaev secured his place on the welterweight ladder and even jumped into title contention in the eyes of many by brutally choking out “The Leech.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVq763JhT6B/
Lee Senses A UFC-Chimaev Masterplan
One man who hasn’t been impressed with Khamzat Chimaev is former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee. The 29-year-old revealed he’s yet to board the rising star’s hype train because he hasn’t seen him do anything worthy of it.
“The Motown Phenom” recently signed for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC following his release from the UFC. He’s now suggested his former promotion’s desire to bring his new boss back to the Octagon has led to Chimaev’s push.
During an appearance on The Schmozone podcast, Lee suggested Dana White and the promotion are trying to play on Khabib’s ego by attempting to build another Dagestani brute to greater heights in the sport, something he believes could draw “The Eagle” back for more.
“The Khamzat push, I think is to kind of make up for the gap that Khabib had. I think if they feel like he can get bigger than Khabib, they may be able to play with Khabib’s ego a little bit. As humble as Khabib wants to say he is, he’s got an ego, too. I think if somebody is to be looked at as above him in his own community, then maybe he might make that comeback, and then they’ll make a whole lot of money off him. I think that’s probably the push.”
Khabib is widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest of all time. The 33-year-old built an incredible unblemished 29-0 record across his illustrious career, a résumé that includes the names of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Rafael dos Anjos, Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza, and Justin Gaethje.
On this day five years ago, the MMA world was still eager to see a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. In this article, Khabib does everything in his power to make the fight happen before it was ultimately booked as an interim lightweight title bout at UFC 209, which he had to pull out from due to weight-cutting complications.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 2, 2017, 4:59 PM]
HEADLINE: Khabib Nurmagomedov Willing To Pay Tony Ferguson to Fight
Author: Adam Haynes
Khabib Nurmagomedov took to social media this morning to offer Tony Ferguson a cash incentive to fight.
Conor McGregor may be the lightweight champion of the world, but there is a strong case to suggest that no one is more deserved of a title shot than “The Eagle”. Nurmagomedov is currently the #1-ranked lightweight in the UFC, and intends to secure a showdown with “The Notorious” by ensuring a clear path is made to a bout with the Irishman.
A much-anticipated bout between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson hit the skids last week after it emerged that Dana White had called it off on the grounds of a dispute over pay from the American’s camp. White is reluctant to negotiate on a contract that has recently been signed by Ferguson, suggesting that “El Cucuy” should honor the existing terms of their agreement. White [via Fox Sports] insisted:
“We were trying to make that fight — Tony said he will not do that fight unless he makes the same exact money that Khabib makes. Khabib has a different deal. That ain’t happening. Count that out.”
“He has a contract that he just signed, not long ago. I honor every contract no matter what it is. I get into some (expletive) deals, too. You’ve got a guy who’s making tons of money but he was a champion, but that was the deal I cut. I cut that deal and I signed it and I’ve got to live with my deal.”
Hey @TonyFergusonXT if the @ufc don't want to pay you I'll pay you 200k extra on your purse let's make this fight now you have no excuse
Nurmagomedov has handled this latest setback accordingly, offering $200,000 dollars to Ferguson from his own pocket. It appears that Russia’s premier UFC star will not entertain the idea of fighting anyone else other than Ferguson, going as far as suggesting that he is being kept from reaching the top via clandestine politics by the UFC top-brass. “The Eagle” took to Instagram recently to confirm that his sights are firmly set on the 155lb throne:
“This message to UFC — it is clear to everyone that you hiding Conor from me. But stop lying to your fans like I don’t want fight with Aldo, I’m ready to fight with anyone in my division. Give me relevant fight, so you won’t be able to hide the belt from me after. But not the fight, where people say after my victory: he is too small, Khabib too big for him etc”.
While there are many fights out there for the sambo-expert, not many can deny his credentials as a worthy challenger to McGregor. With the Dubliner having all but confirmed his temporary hiatus from the octagon for the foreseeable future, Nurmagomedov knows that he must remain active and solidify his status as the next man in line for a title shot. A victory against Tony Ferguson will surely stake his claim for a “red panty night”, and propel him closer to the fight which many believe is long overdue.
On this day five years ago, the MMA world was eager to see a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. In this article, Ferguson discussed where things stood on his end before the fight was ultimately booked as an interim lightweight title bout at UFC 209, which Nurmagomedov had to pull out from due to weight-cutting complications.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 2, 2017, 6:13 PM]
Headline: Tony Ferguson: ‘I’ve Outperformed my UFC Contract’
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been clamoring for a lightweight clash between no. 1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov and no. 2 ranked Tony Ferguson. The negotiations hit a snag and both men played the blame game. “The Eagle” claimed Ferguson wouldn’t sign on for a March bout, while “El Cucuy” said Nurmagomedov turned down a fight for January.
Ferguson appeared on The MMA Hour and made it clear he has no love for Nurmagomedov:
“I think everybody needs to realize that the gloves are still off. I don’t like this guy [Nurmagomedov]. I think my style of fighting is so much better than his. I’m not even gonna get into numbers, but my numbers speak for themselves as far as finishing people and I’ve got nine consecutive victories. I’m just a much better fighter than this dude.”
Both men are vying for a shot at Conor McGregor’s title and feel these deserve a shot. While they both agree on wanting better contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), “El Cucuy” wants it to be known that they aren’t buddies.
“I don’t talk to the guy. I’m not his best friend. We took a picture just so I could size the guy up. We’re gonna fight, that’s what it is. The things have to be right, they have to be on good terms.”
Ferguson said he was ready to compete against Nurmagomedov in January, that obviously isn’t going to happen. “El Cucuy” explained what went down.
“When he didn’t want to sign on the dotted line because he had too many boo-boos or he didn’t want to do it in my hometown, I was like whatever I’m gonna take a little break and see what’s up.”
There’s been lot of talk about Ferguson’s contract with the UFC. “El Cucuy” wants more money but UFC President Dana White wants him to honor the contract he signed “not too long ago.” Ferguson believes his work has exceeded the current terms.
“I have a contract, but I’ve outperformed that contract. I want equal terms, I want to be compensated for this particular bout. The UFC has a long history of changing a fighter’s compensation for a particular bout. We’ve just seen this for UFC 207 with Ronda. I got a phone call saying, ‘hey you made weight with jeans on’ and it wasn’t even a ceremonial weigh-in. I got an earful on it.”
No matter the year, there is one thing you can be sure will never change: there will continue to be the never-ending debates about who is the greatest of all time (GOAT). This year, however, I say we finally add an extra dimension to these debates that is long overdue: adding the term “BOAT” to the official sports lexicon.
There is a difference between being the greatest and being the best. Being the greatest is based primarily on accomplishments and résumé. Think of this as having the strongest and most accomplished career.
Being the best is based primarily on skill level. Think of this as having the most talent and being the most dominant.
Naturally, there is some overlap between the two, which is where most of the confusion lies when there are GOAT debates with varying criteria.
Being considered the best is something that is backed by the eye test, and then the accomplishments and résumé help prove that the talent level is as high as your eyes thought.
Being the greatest is like the number of trophies you have in your closet and the number of heads you have mounted on your wall. It’s based more on what you did than how you did it. But there is still naturally some skill and domination that played a factor in that. The biggest difference is being the best can be judged in a shorter period of time while being the greatest is almost always reserved for those with a very wide body of work.
Jim Brown, Pro Football Hall of Famer
In football, you could argue that Emmitt Smith or Walter Payton is the GOAT at running back based on the records they set and their Super Bowl victories. However, the title of “BOAT” might be reserved for a Jim Brown or Barry Sanders, who ran with a form that set them apart from the pack, even if they lack the championships that a typical “GOAT” would have.
In basketball, one might argue that Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the greatest center who ever lived, with six NBA titles, six MVPs, and two Finals MVPs to support that claim. But in terms of the best? Give me the 1999-2001 Shaquille O’Neal every time. Because no one was more dominant.
In MMA, we’ve seen a couple of glaring examples of people having debates without realizing that they were arguing two completely different things.
Let’s take Jon Jones vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, for instance. The following graphic best summarizes the difference between GOAT vs. BOAT (graphic via ESPN MMA).
Here, Brett Okamoto is arguing for Khabib as the BOAT while Marc Raimondi is arguing for Jon Jones as the GOAT. The clash comes when the opposing sides feel they are limited to one term of “GOAT.” What results are impossible debates about different topics unbeknownst to the participants. We’ll have more on the Khabib vs. Jones debate a bit later on.
BOAT Sightings
While we still have a ways to go before BOAT is officially added to the sports/MMA lexicon, there have been some “BOAT” sightings that have happened over the past year.
Alexander Volkov Cites Evolution
Below, Alexander Volkov essentially argues that Fedor Emelianenko is the heavyweight GOAT while Francis Ngannou is the heavyweight BOAT.
“Right now, it’s the UFC Champion Ngannou, most likely,” Volkov told RT Sport MMA in response to who is the greatest heavyweight of all time. “Depends on the particular era of MMA. Of course, in terms of achievements, Fedor is one of the greatest, a legendary fighter who was undefeated for many years, had spectacular fights, came back from different bad situations in his fights, beat them all in his time.
“But now, there’s a new generation with new skills, new physical conditions, new techniques. And it’s unclear if the fighters of the past generation would do well against the elite fighters of the present. So before we talk about the greatest heavyweight of all time, we need to define what it really means. For me, there’s no such thing. There’s just the best fighter at the moment. Now, it’s the UFC champion, in my opinion.”
Chael P. Sonnen Weighs In
Next, here’s Chael Sonnen giving his own breakdown of how the line between the best and the greatest often gets warped into a haze.
“Khabib is the most dominant. I can prove that,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “That’s not my opinion. I can prove to you that Khabib is the most dominant. I think that is a wonderful compliment to give a guy. You were the best fighter of all time. Hard to prove. Big compliment, hard to prove. Dominance is hard…Guys, Khabib has won more 10-8 rounds in his career than anybody in the history of unarmed combat. I’m including boxing. What an incredible statement. Then, OK, who’s the greatest of all time?
Khabib Nurmagomedov
“…Khabib does have one thing against him. It’s only one. It’s only one. But it’s still against him, and it’s gonna grow over time. Now that we’re still in the Khabib era, we’ve all seen him fight, we all miss him and want to see him fight again…over time, we’re gonna forget that. We’re gonna forget how we feel right now. We’re gonna see new talent in there. So we’re now left with paper.
“And this even happens now, I mean, Jordan vs. LeBron. You talk about Jordan had six rings and LeBron had none—at one point—but this was the argument. And you could see—many people said, ‘No, LeBron’s better. I don’t give a damn if he has the rings or not. He’s gonna get ’em and he’s better.”
El Cucuy Knows What’s Up
And what kind of guy is Tony Ferguson? Tony Ferguson is the kind of guy to hop on board the BOAT movement before it was cool. Be more like Tony Ferguson.
“B.O.A.T.🕶Status” Keepin’ It Sweet On Tiramisu🍮Tuesday # GetSum 🚣♂️💨🍃 -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/FNZR1mqoDC
The two most frequent examples of GOAT vs. BOAT debates this past year were the Jon Jones/Khabib GOAT debate and the Georges St-Pierre/Kamaru Usman welterweight GOAT debate. For Jones’ part, he was offended that he was even being compared to the Dagestani in terms of their overall careers (graphic via ESPN MMA).
Here, Jones is solely arguing about greatness in terms of accomplishments. This quote and argument do not address actual talent and dominance over competition.
Now Jones did go on to say that Khabib had just started fighting elite competition, so his dominance is overstated. However, for one thing, “elite” is subjective. You could argue that Rafael dos Anjos was elite already at the time Khabib faced him in 2014. He just didn’t look like it because…you know, Khabib.
Second, if what Khabib did was easy, more people would be dominating “non-elite” competition the way Khabib did. Or maybe….just maybe…he’s just insanely good.
But the frustration Jones is experiencing in this quote below and that a Twitter user had in this tweet is a classic case of what happens when you are in debates about two different things: greatness in terms of accomplishments (GOAT) vs. being superior to everyone else purely in terms of talent (BOAT).
Georges St-Pierre vs. Kamaru Usman
First off, the date in which this viral graphic was created is unclear, as Usman’s unique opponents as champion is currently 3, not 1. Although this discrepancy calls the rest of these numbers into question, that’s not what I want to point out.
This is a classic example of the “lying with statistics” maneuver, and/or the cherry-picking fallacy. Because there’s no logical reason to have stats this in-depth but somehow neglect to mention UFC win/loss record, which at the very least is equally as important as anything else here.
And even aside from posts like these, the most common argument for GSP as the welterweight GOAT is that he had more title defenses. That’s where the majority of the pro-GSP GOAT arguments begins and ends. This argument completely ignores Usman’s longer, harder road to the title through no fault of his own.
Other things to be considered in Usman’s favor is his record for longest welterweight winning streak, having the highest winning percentage out of any fighter who has ever competed in the UFC, and the fact that he has never lost in the UFC while GSP lost twice, including to Matt Serra, and had an extremely hard time against Johnny Hendricks in a win closer than any of Usman’s wins.
Usman’s opponents were considered tougher at the time of the fights. Just compare Usman’s odds history vs. GSP’s odds history to see how experts/the public viewed their level of competition. For the most part, GSP’s level of competition was not as strong, which is something people knock Demetrious Johnson for.
In terms of GOAT vs. BOAT, GSP may very well still have the stronger argument for welterweight GOAT in terms of his overall career, but Usman would make for an easier argument on who is more likely to win any fight and is thus better.
At minimum, that is of equal value to being the GOAT. For instance, you can’t win money on someone’s overall career achievements. But you can win money when correctly judging who will be the better fighter on a given night. Usman has proven to be more reliable on that regard not only in terms of wins/losses but in terms of rounds.
To paraphrase Brett Okamoto in the earlier graphic, if my life is on the line and I’m picking who to bet on, I’m betting on the dude with the longest winning streak, the highest winning percentage in company history, and who in my opinion, the eye test shows is the more difficult fighter to beat overall. And none of those conclusions on Usman are being made with a small sample size. The man is setting records that can only be broken with amazing consistency.
Conclusion
In closing, there is a difference between being the best of all time (BOAT) and being the greatest of all time (GOAT). Let’s start firing up the scholarly articles, talk-show debates, or whatever is needed to get the term “BOAT” officially accepted into the sports lexicon! And come on, the boat emojis would be lit, too! ?️
Not recognizing the difference between GOAT and BOAT is a big reason why so many people grow frustrated when having these debates because they and their opponent are literally debating two different things without realizing it. Would differentiating these terms suddenly make these subjective debates more clear-cut and definitive? Of course not. But it sure would make the impossible a little bit easier and the goal post much clearer.
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington believes Charles Oliveira’s victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 had a negative affect on the legacy of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Oliveira’s incredible journey from the middle of the pack to top of the UFC continued in the main event of the final pay-per-view of 2021. Having won the title vacated by Khabib with a win against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May, “Do Bronx” made his first defense inside the T-Mobile Arena.
Heading into the contest, many branded Poirier the “uncrowned champion” and predicted he’d end a short reign for Oliveira on December 11. Despite looking on his way to doing so after a first-round knockdown, “The Diamond” fell short of the lightweight mountaintop yet again after being submitted with a third-frame rear-naked choke.
Covington: Khabib “Never Fought A High, High-Level Wrestler”
For Poirier, who’s built a similarly inspirational rise to the top as Oliveira, the chance to complete his journey with title glory collapsed in a chokehold at the hands of another elite grappler. His first challenge was beaten away by Khabib in the pair’s 2019 unification bout.
According to Covington, the fact Poirier was beaten by Oliveira in a similar fashion to his setback against Khabib has actually damaged “The Eagle.” During an appearance on Submission Radio, “Chaos” suggested the Dagestani’s legacy has been delegitimized by the Brazilian’s win and the fact Khabib didn’t face Oliveira before retiring.
“It definitely kinda delegitimizes his (Khabib) legacy. He never really fought a high, high-level wrestler that could challenge him, that was good, in both areas of striking and wrestling, and submissions and defensive wrestling. So, you know, there’s always been doubts about Khabib’s legacy. He had an interesting route and he took some time off in-between his career. He got good matchups, you know, people that didn’t know how to wrestle. Even, a lot of people thought that he lost to a guy I used to train with all the time, Tibau, Gleison Tibau. He won a split decision over him but a lot of people thought he lost that fight.
Khabib vs. Gleison Tibau, UFC 148
“I definitely think that kinda puts a dampener into Khabib’s legacy. That guy’s (Poirier) going out there and getting submitted just like you did to him; the same exact way. So how would that matchup go with him and the Brazilian?”
While Oliveira’s latest success has certainly brought up questions regarding how a fight with Khabib would play out, it seems fans will never have the answer. Since hanging up his gloves following his victory over Justin Gaethje last October, “The Eagle” has consistently reiterated the commitment he has towards his retirement.
While Khabib continues to remain outside the cage, Oliveira will look to extend his reign beyond 2022 and succeed the number of title defenses accumulated by the Russian. If he’s to do so, he may have to halt the challenge of Khabib’s prodigy, Islam Makhachev, who’s set to feature in a likely title eliminator against Beneil Dariush early next year.
Do you agree with Colby Covington? Did Charles Oliveira’s victory over Dustin Poirier affect Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy?
The price of fame appears to be weighing heavily on Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The consensus lightweight GOAT retired from MMA over a year ago and has since transitioned into a highly successful coaching career. Like he was in the UFC, as a coach Khabib remains undefeated, having most recently steered Islam Makhachev to victory at UFC 267. His record as a coach stands at 7-0.
Khabib Shares How He Deals With Fame, Tells Story Of Almost Fighting Fan
So it seems Nurmagomedov is still very much in the MMA limelight, and as one of the sport’s most recognizable faces, will be for a long time. But the life of a global sports star hasn’t been all roses for Khabib.
Speaking at an event in the UK, the 33-year-old revealed that to avoid the thronging masses of fans who regularly clamor for his attention, he often goes out completely incognito, wearing a hoodie and COVID mask.
“This is best feeling—go outside when people not bother you, just be like regular person. Sometimes I do this,” said Khabib.
PHOTO: GETTY
Khabib’s disguise isn’t always foolproof, however. The Dagestani related an incident—one of many, he claims—where a fan spotted him, and things got a little tense.
“In Moscow, couple weeks ago, I put mask, hoodie, and just walk around, and one guy come to meet,” said Khabib. “It was a lot of people there. And (he said), ‘Can I take picture?’ And I was walking. I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Because I don’t want.’ It was (a discussion) between me and him, just walking. He said, ‘But I want to take picture with you.’ I said, ‘OK, take on the way, but I don’t want to stop.’ Because I know if I stop, put mask off, I have to stop there for one hour. And he don’t like this. It was very nervous (discussion) with him. I feel pressure, too. But I was ready for fight. Because I don’t want to take picture. Because now is not time.”
How would you handle a situation like the one Khabib found himself in with this overzealous fan?
