From 2008, when he made his debut to when he retired in 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s reign of terror was truly unmatched. And while many have recently concluded that Islam Makhachev was more skilled than ‘The Eagle’, Daniel Cormier firmly believes he remains Islam’s superior in the GOAT debate.
Speaking to his Good Guy/ Bad Guy co-host, Chael Sonnen, DC divulged what makes Nurmagomedov a cut above the rest including his protege Islam Makhachev.
“I dont know if we’ll ever see someone as dominant as Khabib because think about this Chael, when did you ever watch a fight, I’m not saying that Islam was losing the fight on Saturday, there were times though where it looked competitive. How often did you see Khabib Nurmagomedov not look outwardly dominant? That is where I think you make the difference.”
One might question Khabib’s longevity in the sport but the veteran is spot on with his take here. Even though his opponents knew Khabib’s game plan, nobody could do a thing!
They all fell to his takedowns and got mauled! Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, none could stop the Khabib Express despite being elite strikers.
At one point in his career, ‘The Eagle‘ looked so invincible that experts thought he wouldn’t even lose a round! That’s how dominant he was.
On the other hand, we have Makhachev, a more well-rounded fighter than the Khabib. But according to DC, Nurmagomedov’s reign was something in the god tier, a feat even his protege can never emulate.
With that being said, the undefeated former LW champion couldn’t hold back praising his teammate after he went 5 rounds with ‘The Diamond.’
Khabib Nurmagomedov happy with Makhachev – “Islam grew a lot”
Despite the intense back and forth between the champion and the challenger, Nurmagomedov was impressed by Makhachev’s performance at UFC 302. Even though ‘The Diamond’ was able to piece up the champ with crisp shots and a bloody elbow that resulted in a massive cut on the Russian’s forehead, it just wasn’t enough.
The champion that he is, Makhchev weathered the storm and defeated the challenger, cementing his legacy. The grueling nature of the bout certainly pushed Makhachev to new levels and made him an even better competitor.
Following the bout, Nurmagomedov emphasized the importance of such fights, saying,
“To be honest, today, Islam grew a lot. You don’t even understand. When you go deep like today, it shows people and you understand your body and your things inside, how deep you can go. Even more, you know, there is more place…”
Furthermore, with his title defense, Makhachev is up on the list of most title defenses in the LW division, pushing himself further into the realm of the GOATs.
