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Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport of MMA with an undefeated record of 29 wins and no losses. Furthermore, he tied the all-time title defense record of the UFC lightweight division, thwarting the attempts of four exceptional challengers who sought to dethrone him as champion.
Those three men included former undisputed lightweight titleholder Conor McGregor and former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. 'The Eagle's' victories over them were impressive, with each win more dominant than the last, as he finished all three men with different chokes.
And that is what set Khabib Nurmagomedov apart from others: dominance. While the likes of Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre have a stronger claim to GOAT status than he does, there has never been a fighter as dominant as Nurmagomedov, and it may be some time before fans see anyone like him again.
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#5. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated
Retiring undefeated is the goal of every fighter who steps inside the octagon. Losses are profoundly negative experiences that fighters must turn into positives, like lessons, to offset the bitter truth that they simply weren't good enough to win a particular bout. That, however, has never been a worry for Nurmagomedov.
Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jędrzejczyk were intent on retiring as unbeaten champions but were ultimately handed crushing defeats. Whereas the case with Khabib Nurmagomedov is different. 29 different fighters tried to defeat him, but all 29 of them failed miserably, especially towards the end of his career.
He is the Floyd Mayweather Jr. of MMA in this respect. There is no blemish on his record. Even Jon Jones, who has never truly been beaten, has a disqualification loss staining his record. Meanwhile, Georges St-Pierre famously lost to Matt Serra in one of the greatest upsets in MMA history.
#4. He has only ever lost two rounds
At UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor squared off in the sport's most famous-ever grudge match. He was dominant during the pair's bout, winning every round besides the third. Context, however, matters, as him losing round three to McGregor is often misrepresented as something it's not.
Nurmagomedov spent most of round three on the feet, walking through the Irishman's feared left hand with nary a stumble. Furthermore, his lack of takedowns in round three can be credited to how excessively McGregor cheated, as he grabbed his foe's shorts and gloves, all to stop takedowns.
It was the first round he ever lost in MMA. The second was the first round against Justin Gaethje, which consisted of him backing up 'The Highlight' with endless pressure and scoring a late takedown in the round.
#3. Nearly every win he has ever had was dominant
Being undefeated is an extremely difficult achievement. But even fighters who have never technically been bested in the cage or ring, have had less-than-stellar moments. Jon Jones, for example, was made to look exceedingly mortal in his first fight with Alexander Gustafsson, which many thought he had lost.
Similarly, many still hold that his controversial win over Dominick Reyes was a robbery, as is also the case with Georges St-Pierre's past win over Johny Hendricks. Both 'Bones' and 'GSP' had several lackluster wins, some of which can be argued if they rightfully won. This is not the case with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Besides his win over Gleison Tibau, every other fight has been a thoroughly dominant affair in his favor. While his peers in the halls of all-time greats have several controversial wins and lackluster performances, Nurmagomedov has only one: every other win saw his trademark dominance in full effect.
#2. Khabib Nurmagomedov has never been cut or bruised
It is bizarre to think that a fighter can take part in as many as 29 fights and not suffer a single visible facial injury. But hardly any fighter is like Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' has never bled in any bout, nor has he ever walked out of a bout with any bruise or mark on his face.
Nurmagomedov exited every fight without so much as a scratch. Even Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva can't say the same. 'Bones' was famously busted open by Alexander Gustafsson in the pair's Hall of Fame title bout. Meanwhile, 'GSP' was notorious for being easy to cut and bruise.
While Silva eluded being marked up for much of his career, he has been cut and busted open before. But not Nurmagomedov, he has never had a swollen eye nor spilled his own blood. That a fighter can be so dominant that none of his opponents can even scratch him in 29 fights is inimitable.
#1. He did not coast as a champion
A common criticism that most fighters face upon capturing an undisputed title is how safe they become. Suddenly, fighters that were once known to pursue the finish, adopt a cautious approach to their fights, content to coast their way to decisions without taking risks because they fear losing.
But Khabib Nurmagomedov was a completely different champion. Upon capturing the title, he did not fight with the fear of losing, he fought like he knew he would never lose, and became a more effective finisher the deeper into his title reign he went, which cannot be said for most UFC champions.
He did not fear taking risks because he was so dominant that the idea of losing never crossed his mind. Nurmagomedov asserted himself as a champion, finishing every title challenger while others point-fought in the name of staying champion.
