In an interview, Demetrious Johnson discussed ‘The Eagle’ and agreed that he was the G.O.A.T. Many MMA fighters and fans alike consider Khabib Nurmagomedov to be the greatest of all time. While some disagree with this narrative because the fighter retired in his prime, Khabib’s contribution cannot be erased from UFC. He dominated the lightweight division and completely cleaned it.
The Dagestani fighter retired with an undefeated record. Johnson confessed that he too would have loved to see Khabib fight more fights. However, he had great things to say about Khabib.
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Johnson said, “He’s one of the best ever to do it at definitely lightweight. You know, the only thing I wish I would have seen from him is just more activity as a champion, you know. He cleaned out the divisions but think as far as lightweight champions ever go, he’s one of the best. He’s the only guy who’s ever retired 29-0.”
He continues, “He was very very skillful the way he went about his fights in his competition.”
Johnson also revealed that he considers Khabib as the greatest of all time and not just the greatest lightweight. When asked if he considers Khabib to be the G.O.A.T, he said, “Yeah, I would say so…. I’ll say he’s one of the greatest of all times to do mixed martial arts.”
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Johnson also pointed out how Khabib faced every type of fighter in his career and, hence, he thinks Khabib is the greatest out there.
Is Demetrious Johnson right about Khabib Nurmagomedov being the G.O.A.T?
G.O.A.T status is sometimes simply time-driven, like in the case of Anderson Silva. There is an aspect of nostalgia associated with him. However, Khabib managed to remain undefeated throughout his career and retired recently. Many fans like to point out that he never even bled in the ring.
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Further, Khabib also emerged as a dominant fighter against some of the best lightweights, like Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and several others. His bouts also earned tons of PPV buys. But in terms of title defenses, Jon Jones leaves Khabib way behind.
Johnson praising Khabib is a huge deal. ‘Mighty Mouse’ is himself considered the best in the flyweight division.
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Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest of all time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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