We have often seen numerous lists for the UFC’s biggest stars and the GOAT lists countless times. Over the years, the lists have seen some changes, with the sport also progressing. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov remains a shoo-in for any such conversation and likely will be for the foreseeable future.
Recently, the all-timer debate was once again brought forth on the ‘Good Guy / Bad Guy’ show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA. Discussing the 5 biggest UFC stars of all time, the two went back and forth with their picks on the matter. With that said, the two came to a middle ground when it came to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Whilst ‘The Eagle’ is mostly renowned for being one of the best fighters ever, his fame and star power have often been overlooked. As such, whilst commending his fighting prowess, the two also stated their thoughts as to why he is one of the biggest stars the UFC has ever seen.
Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen label Khabib as the most dominant athlete of all time
Coming in at #3 on his list, Chael Sonnen explained why Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the biggest UFC stars of all time. Getting the obvious things out of the way, the Dagestani former champ boasts an unblemished 29-0 record and simply ran through the lightweight division after making his UFC debut in 2012.
According to Chael, “He would go out and finish guys, Khabib is the most dominant combat athlete, and I’m including boxing, of all time. I come to that analysis because he has more 10-8 rounds than anybody in combat history”. Further, he added, “They built a stadium for this guy, when he fought Poirier, they didn’t have anywhere to put it, they built an arena for this guy, he is a star”.
“Khabib is the most dominant combat athlete, and I’m including boxing of all time. I come to that analysis because he has more 10-8 rounds than anybody in combat history.”
Chael Sonnen talked about the hardest fight Khabib Nurmagomedov had in the UFC
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Interestingly, Chael commended how Khabib was the most dominant combat sports athlete, including in boxing. For the most part, many consider the likes of Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to be the best of all time. Considering Khabib’s dominant 10-8 round stat, his record has been disputed in the past. However, the same debate about ‘padded records’ applies to Mayweather as well.
Picking up where Chael left off, Daniel Cormier attributes the UFC’s business and success in the Middle East to the star power of Khabib. Although it was short-lived, Khabib’s victories over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje were all massive events. Notably, Khabib’s retirement and departure from the sport was also seen as the end of an era by many.
Why are Georges St-Pierre and Conor McGregor bigger UFC stars than Khabib Nurmagomedov?
For the most part, many will see that Khabib Nurmagomedov was placed below Georges St-Pierre and Conor McGregor in the list. Considering that Khabib was responsible for the highest PPV buys in UFC history with 2.4 million buys and the second-highest gate at UFC 229, many will naturally question how anyone can be above him.
However, what some fail to realize is that Khabib was not the ‘A-side’ for the fight. Instead, Conor McGregor, fresh off a fight against Floyd Mayweather and the first champ-champ in UFC history, was the bigger draw. Although Khabib did command a lot of attention, many will suggest that the Irishman was arguably the main man. This was further proven by Khabib’s next fights, which didn’t garner similar numbers.
On the other hand, GSP has one of the longest championship reigns in UFC history and was also a two-divisional champ. Similarly, McGregor, although hardly the best fighter on the list, was responsible for 9 out of the 10 highest-selling PPVs in UFC history. Thus, had the criteria been the best UFC fighter ever, it is probable that Khabib Nurmagomedov would have had a stronger position.