Ilia Topuria's resume better than Khabib Nurmagomedov's? Influencer MMA Guru's take sparks heated fan debate

Ilia Topuria’s electrifying knockout of Max Holloway at UFC 308 has not only cemented his dominance in the featherweight division but has also sparked intense debate regarding his legacy. Topuria stunned the MMA community by delivering Holloway’s first career knockout, landing a left hook in the third round that left the former champion staggered.

Topuria’s win follows his February knockout of Alexander Volkanovski, ending the Australian’s four-year title reign and establishing Topuria as a formidable force in the UFC.

With seven finishes in the UFC since his 2020 debut, Topuria’s rise has drawn comparisons to retired lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Influential MMA YouTuber 'The MMA Guru' stirred the conversation by contrasting the fighters' career trajectories, claiming that Topuria’s level of competition early on was tougher than Nurmagomedov’s.

In a post on social media, he wrote:

"The difference is insane, we need to start rethinking who we just chuck around the term "goat" for. Ilia is straight in at the deep end. Khabib was in the kiddie pool with floaties on for nearly 6 years"

Check out the post below:

The comments section lit up with fans weighing in on the debate. One fan dismissed Nurmagomedov’s legacy:

"Khabib isn’t even top 15 all time"

Others argued that Topuria still has much to prove to reach 'GOAT' status.

"1. Khabib never been dropped, bled, scratched, or even bruised in whole career. 2. Illia lost the same amount of rounds against max than khabib did in his whole career. 3. Khabib has the most 10-8s and most takedowns in ufc history. 4. Illia won’t even get passed Movsar. Lvls."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to debate between Ilia Topuria and Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy. [Images courtesy: X]

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Dustin Poirier weighs in on Ilia Topuria's UFC 308 fight

Ilia Topuria stunned the MMA community by fulfilling his prediction to become the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway during their UFC 308 bout. Following the fight, Dustin Poirier, who faced Holloway twice, emphasized that Topuria deserves significant recognition for his achievement.

Poirier initially found it hard to envision Topuria delivering such a decisive blow to Holloway. However, after Topuria's electrifying performance, which marks his second consecutive KO of a top featherweight—previously defeating Alexander Volkanovski—doubts about his prowess have largely vanished.

During ESPN MMA's post-fight show, Poirier expressed his admiration for Topuria, stating:

"I am more than impressed. I am blown away. Not that I didn't think it could happen, of course it could happen, Topuria is an incredible boxer. Big power, sits down on all his punches, great technique. I just didn't think it would happen. You saw him standing in that octagon with the rose in his hand? Now it's time to give him his flowers, because he is everything he said he was. He said what he was going to do, and he went out there and he did it. First man in the world to knock out a legend in Max Holloway."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (0:20):