“On the same level with Jon Jones” - Khabib Nurmagomedov’s old praise for Israel Adesanya divides fans ahead of blockbuster showdown in Australia

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He retired with an undefeated record of 29 wins and no losses, having lost just two rounds across his entire career. Furthermore, he retired as the undisputed UFC lightweight champion and the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

Thus, it should come as no surprise to learn that 'The Eagle,' who has since been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, is held in the highest esteem by both his fans and fellow peers alike. So whenever he showers another fighter with praise, the MMA world is quick to take notice.

This is the case with reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who Khabib Nurmagomedov once compared to all-time great MMA legend Jon Jones, who many consider the GOAT, above even 'The Eagle' himself. But despite being well-respected, Nurmagomedov's past statement was questioned by fans.

As it turns out, fans do not believe that Adesanya, even were he to rack up additional title defenses like Nurmagomedov predicted, will ever reach Jones' level due to the strength of Jones' competition. One fan on Twitter said as much, writing:

"Khabib wrong on this one lol. Jones fought MUCH scarier dudes than Izzy"

Another fan hit out at Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly speaking from a position of superiority relative to Jon Jones, who is widely recognized as having a stronger legacy:

"Khabib thinks he's got a better legacy than Jones, but Izzy has to defend a few more times."

More comments about Adesanya not reaching Jones' level popped:

"I personally don’t think he can reach Jones level, but definitely can surpass Khabib."

Fans seemed to be in almost unanimous agreement that Adesanya won't reach or surpass Jones' level:

"Considering @JonnyBones has no losses and a slew of title defenses, no."

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions

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Is Khabib Nurmagomedov the lightweight GOAT?

The UFC lightweight division is the arguably the deepest weight class in the sport. For this reason, racking up numerous title defenses has always been difficult at 155 pounds. One of the men often hailed as the lightweight GOAT is B.J. Penn, who defended the title a record three times.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, however, has emerged as the strongest candidate as the lightweight GOAT due to his undefeated run. He has the longest win streak in lightweight history, matching B.J. Penn's title defense record, and his success against three different champions.