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Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov will always be compared to each other. In particular, Makhachev will always be compared to Nurmagomedov, who, in a way, came before him. Both men are among the greatest fighters of all time, but many still regard 'The Eagle' as greater.
There's a small contingent of fans who even consider Nurmagomedov to be the greatest fighter of all time. It's a difficult claim to support, especially with other fighters having accomplished significantly more than he has. The question, though, is whether Makhachev is among them?
If not, does a welterweight title win rank him ahead of his mentor in the eternal GOAT debate?
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Islam Makhachev vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov: Comparing their résumés
The most visible difference between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov is that one of them is undefeated. That, of course, is Nurmagomedov. However, being unbeaten means very little in the grand scheme of things, especially when considering Nurmagomedov's strength of schedule.
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'The Eagle' spent a considerable amount of time fighting subpar competition. When he was 14-0, for example, he faced Vadim Sandulskiy, who was 0-0. For his 12th fight, he faced the unremarkable Ashot Shahinyan, who was 0-2 at the time. For his 16th fight, Nurmagomedov faced a 27-22 Arymarcel Santos.
There's good reason behind the argument that Nurmagomedov had a padded record. He only began fighting elite competition much later on. So, what are his best wins? Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Al Iaquinta, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
Dos Anjos and McGregor are former undisputed lightweight champions, while Poirier and Gaethje are former interim lightweight champions. Johnson, though, is an abysmal 23-19. Barboza is a dangerous, but deeply flawed fighter at 24-12, and Iaquinta was little more than a gutsy overachiever with a 14-7-1 record.
What of Makhachev? His best wins are stronger than Nurmagomedov's. He has beaten Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, Bobby Green, Renato Moicano, Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski twice, and 'The Diamond' as well. How do they compare to Nurmagomedov's wins?
Nurmagomedov never fought a strong wrestler with tremendous physical strength and brutal power like Tsarukyan, who is 22-3 and the No. 1-ranked lightweight in the world. Oliveira is among the greatest lightweights of all time and a former undisputed champion. Volkanovski is an overall all-time great and was P4P #1.
Even the cast of Hooker, Green, and Moicano is more impressive than Iaquinta, Barboza, and Johnson. There's an argument to be made that Makhachev has already surpassed his mentor's résumé. He has the longest-ever lightweight win streak, the division's most title defenses, and the UFC's second-longest win streak.
He is arguably already ahead of Nurmagomedov, but a welterweight title win over either Belal Muhammad or Jack Della Maddalena would rank him well clear of 'The Eagle'. It would not only be an accomplishment his mentor never had, but also one he never dared pursue.
