Khabib Nurmagomedov scored another rousing win at UFC 254 on Saturday. The MMA superstar retained his lightweight crown by pummeling Justin Gaethje to a second-round submission and further improving into a spotless 29 wins. And at 32, the Russian announced his retirement, thereby sparking the conversation that Nurmagomedov is the GOAT.
The strongest case for the fighter being the greatest of all time is his undefeated record. Indeed, he is the best in his class, and opting to exit while at the top of his game was a smart decision. If Nurmagomedov will remain retired then his unblemished exploits in the octagon will be hard to argue with. The MMA star has a solid claim on the honor but there will be counter-arguments.
Almost immediately, Jon Jones dismissed the insinuations that his UFC rival is the best ever. Bones took to social media to make his case that he is the GOAT and his claim is backed by title wins. Jones boasts of 15 victories that made him the best fighter in the world while The Eagle has four successful title bouts to his name.
"I really do respect Khabib, I honor the type of man he is. But being the best is earned not given. Unfortunately, four title fights ain't it, no matter how much we all like 'em," Talk Sport reported the American as saying.
However, Daniel Cormier is not buying Jones' hard-selling tactic that he is the UFC GOAT. The two are not the best of friends and Cormier is convinced that his teammate is easily the best in the sport.
And according to Cormier, Jones is not deserving of the honor due to his failed drug test. Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, has an immaculate record - the Russian steered clear of any doping controversy and history will see him as a UFC star who never tasted defeat.
Still, the lightweight champ running away with the GOAT recognition is not exactly an easy debate. As MMA Junkie pointed out, many great fighters are competing for the title, and Nurmagomedov as No. 1 will be met with spirited disputes.
Of the three analysts who shared their thoughts on the report, only one rooted for The Eagle as the greatest but the likelihood of encountering strong oppositions was not ruled out. While it might be true that Nurmagomedov impressed with his UFC career so far, the fact remains that the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson have been widely acknowledged as the better candidates.
GSP and Johnson, for instance, made their mark in MMA by dominating their weight classes and by fighting long enough to prove they can get in and out of the game and still emerge as champions. To bolster his GOAT status, the report suggested that Nurmagomedov would be getting more votes if he could arrange a few more fights and preserve his undefeated record.
