No boxer, nor athlete has captivated the imagination of the world like Muhammad Ali did while establishing an unparalleled legacy in the world of sports. From his iconic catchphrases & one-liners to his rope-a-dope to his trilogy with Joe Frazier, Ali is the only undisputed GOAT. And one of MMA’s all time greats, Khabib Nurmagomedov acknowledges this.
Paying homage to the late heavyweight boxing champion, the undefeated Nurmagomedov shared an Instagram story post, highlighting how great Ali was and what an influence he was on generations to come.
‘The Eagle’ also emphasized this with one of Ali’s own quotes.
“If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize.”
Khabib reminiscent of Muhammad Ali's greatness pic.twitter.com/z1ogYxim23
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) August 14, 2024
What Ali did with his boxing, inside and outside the ring will be inspirational for generations to come. Not just winning world titles but also giving it all up because he refused to “to help murder and kill other poor people” at the peak of his powers stand testament to his greatness.
And every combat sports athlete ever understand this. No matter how cocky one might be about their abilities, they are all humble when compared to the great Muhammad Ali.
Khabib on compared to Ali
Ali was not just a super athlete who worked his way up from humble beginnings but the pugilist was an even bigger presence outside the ring, frequently raising his voice in the political realm.
While Khabib has been compared to the legendary boxer in this regard, the mixed martial artist has simply said he hasn’t done anything outside the ring to warrant such high praise.
According to an article from Givemesport.com, when he was asked if he liked the comparison to Ali, Khabib said that outside the fact they were both of the Islamic faith and both were champions, there’s isn’t much to compare.
“I think comparing Ali and me is probably wrong. Only if we talk about the fact that we are both champions and both Muslims, but all the things he did outside the ring, with this I cannot be compared.”
Nurmagomedov then stressed about Ali’s role in the fighting against segregation and how to be compared to his greatness, he would have to go back in time to deal with a very dark period in history and still become a champion.
“To be able to compare me with him, I need to go back to those years and be black and be a champion. After, we would see how I would behave in such a situation. I like that people compare us, but I think it is inappropriate.”
Well, there’s nothing more to say, Khabib puts it as eloquently as anyone ever has.
