Tom Aspinall picks winner for fantasy Islam Makhachev vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, fans disagree: "He’s gotta be joking"

Fans recently expressed their thoughts on Tom Aspinall picking Islam Makhachev over Khabib Nurmagomedov in a fantasy matchup.

Both Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have showcased the highly successful Dagestani grappling style. 'The Eagle' defeated every opponent he faced with his signature wrestling-heavy style, while Makhachev has dominated the 155-pound division since his friend and teammate's retirement in 2020.

In a recent interview with Froch on Fighting, Aspinall shared his thoughts on a hypothetical matchup between the two Russian lightweights. The British fighter predicted that the reigning lightweight champion would likely defeat his mentor, citing his "more dangerous" striking.

"I actually think Islam might take it, I think he's a bit of a better striker, I think he's a more dangerous striker. I think grappling wise they're very similar, I reckon Islam might take that... I think the question is obviously when they're both in their prime innit? So I would say Islam's a little bit better.''

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below:

Fans soon rushed to the comments section and shared their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''He’s gotta be joking''

Another fan stated:

''Their coach says that Khabib is the best, compared to anybody including Islam''

Other fans wrote:

''Give Khabib some respect''

''What a bad statement, there is no way Islam Makhachev would beat his master.''

Check out more reactions below:

Screenshot of fan reactions to Home of Fight's post on X

---

Tom Aspinall slams UFC pound-for-pound rankings

Tom Aspinall has shared a unique perspective on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, with debates raging over whether Jon Jones or Islam Makhachev deserves the No. 1 spot.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Aspinall, who has been chasing a fight with 'Bones', was asked to comment on the P4P controversy involving Jones and Makhachev. He replied:

"I think that pound-for-pound fighters, and rankings, is some of the stupidest, silliest, most ludicrous concepts that anyone could ever make up. It's a hypothetical thing, what are you gonna do, make everyone in the world the same size? And have 'em fight each other? It's impossible."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (11:37):