There are a few records set by fighters in the UFC that seem nearly impossible to surpass. A notable few that immediately come to mind, include Jorge Masvidal’s 5-second knockout and Jim Miller fighting in over 42 matches in the company. Similarly, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record is almost unachievable for most, as everyone who tried to surpass him has failed badly. However, while talking to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, UFC Legend Georges St-Pierre claimed he could beat the Dagestani fighter. In response, ‘The Eagle’ showed his respect towards GSP despite being challenged by the legend.
During his chat on the Pound4Pound podcast, GSP expressed his belief that he could have defeated Nurmagomedov. He explained that if the Dagestani had applied pressure, he would have been able to counter effectively and even have the confidence to go for the win. While many might have expected Nurmagomedov to take offense to GSP’s comments, that wasn’t the case. In fact, on an ESPN Instagram post, the Dagestani fighter mentioned how he is awed every time GSP talks about him, as he has learned a lot from the UFC legend:
”I learned from this guy a lot. Even hear he talk about me is so interesting. GSP all day.”
All respect from Khabib in response to Georges St-Pierre's comments 🤝 pic.twitter.com/bxaqtafk4z
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 29, 2024
It’s truly heartwarming to witness ‘The Eagle’ showing respect for GSP. Despite many trying to defeat him, Nurmagomedov’s dominance is evident by the handful few rounds he has lost throughout his career. Likewise, even though GSP expressed confidence in his ability to beat Nurmagomedov, he still supports him, and this is not the first time the UFC legend has shown his respect for ‘The Eagle.’
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre Have Deep Respect For Each Other
In 2021, ‘The Eagle’ and GSP met at the Arnold Sports Festival. During the event, GSP surprised Nurmagomedov by appearing out of nowhere before trying to choke him. After realizing it was GSP, they both hugged it out, laughing. Interestingly, Nurmagomedov also shared that the last time they met, he had choked GSP, so the latter was just trying to get even.
Later, Nurmagomedov said GSP was his dad’s favorite fighter and he loved watching him. He even felt honored to share the stage with the UFC legend. In reply, ‘Rush’ praised Nurmagomedov for his perfect career, retiring undefeated, which is exceptionally rare. This shows the mutual respect the two fighters have for each other.
