5 unbeaten fighters who could emulate Khabib Nurmagomedov and win UFC gold before suffering a defeat
In the world of MMA, especially in the UFC, it’s incredibly difficult to stay undefeated. It’s even trickier to claim gold in the octagon without suffering a single loss.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov won his title while still undefeated, but he’s one of just a handful of fighters to pull this off. So, could anyone emulate him in the future?
Right now, there are a number of unbeaten fighters on the promotion’s roster, but whether they manage to claim gold before suffering a defeat remains to be seen. However, some of them may definitely be capable of emulating Khabib.
Here are five unbeaten fighters who could emulate Khabib Nurmagomedov and win UFC gold before suffering a defeat.
#5. Casey O’Neill – UFC flyweight
This weekend saw a new champion crowned in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division, as longtime titleholder Valentina Shevchenko was dethroned by underdog Alexa Grasso.
‘Bullet’ may well regain her title in their inevitable rematch, but the fact is that whoever holds the 125-pound crown now seems more vulnerable than ever.
There are a handful of highly touted contenders rising up into title contention at flyweight, but the one who feels most likely to claim gold without suffering a loss is Casey O’Neill.
The Scottish-born Australian-based fighter is set to return to action this month after suffering an ACL tear in 2022. If she can defeat former title challenger Jennifer Maia, it’s likely she’ll rise up into genuine title contention.
‘King Casey’ seems to have all the skills needed to become a champion, including an undefeated record of 9-0, with four wins in the octagon.
She’s shown excellent ability both standing and on the ground, and has basically whitewashed every foe she’s faced, from Roxanne Modafferi to Antonina Shevchenko.
@KingCaseyMMA sends a message to the flyweight division and takes out a Shevchenko! #UFCVegas38STILL UNBEATEN.
🏴🇦🇺 @KingCaseyMMA sends a message to the flyweight division and takes out a Shevchenko! #UFCVegas38 https://t.co/XhH0XnBBtj
If she can return to full strength following her knee surgery, then there’s a definite chance that she can claim a title shot in the near future. It wouldn’t be surprising to see her claim gold without suffering a single loss.
#4. Muhammad Mokaev – UFC flyweight
The UFC men’s flyweight division could be considered highly unpredictable right now. With former champion Deiveson Figueiredo looking to move up to 135 pounds and new titleholder Brandon Moreno finally looking for different opponents, it feels like a new era has arrived.
With that considered, the No.12-ranked Muhammad Mokaev could quickly climb into title contention with the right wins. If he can do that, there’s a chance he could become a champion without suffering a loss.
Right now, ‘The Punisher’ is 9-0, with three victories coming in the octagon. He looked hugely impressive in all three of those wins, finishing both Cody Durden and Malcolm Gordon. At the age of 22, he’s still improving.
The first finish of #UFC280 💪
Muhammad Mokaev gets the late submission over Malcolm Gordon https://t.co/jRbVXNsFVb
Mokaev is set to fight this month, facing newcomer Jafel Filho. While that fight won’t propel him directly into contention, many of the fighters above him look beatable.
With his powerful wrestling, dangerous submission game and improving striking, Mokaev is already a handful for any fighter at 125 pounds, and he’s got time on his side too.
Therefore, to see him emulate Khabib by claiming gold whilst undefeated is definitely a possibility.
#3. Tatiana Suarez – UFC strawweight
The final UFC event of February saw the long-awaited return of unbeaten prospect Tatiana Suarez following nearly four years on the shelf.
The TUF 23 winner established herself as a genuine title threat in the strawweight division from her 2016 debut through to the series of injuries she suffered after her last fight in 2019.
Following her absence, though, there were some questions around how well she’d come back.
Thankfully, Suarez easily answered those questions by destroying Montana De La Rosa in the second round, taking her overall record to 9-0, including six wins in the octagon.
𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗦𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞! 😤
#UFCVegas70 https://t.co/J5f9e8RZuu
That fight came at flyweight, but following the win, Suarez stated her intentions to drop back to strawweight. If she does that, then it’s hard to imagine her not claiming the strawweight crown as an unbeaten fighter.
After all, 2018 saw her utterly destroy Carla Esparza with her wrestling and top control, and Esparza then went on to claim the title four years later.
Essentially, based on her skills, Suarez would probably be favored to beat all of the UFC’s top 115lbers right now, from Esparza and Rose Namajunas to champion Weili Zhang.
It feels like it's only a matter of time before she’s a champion, emulating Khabib by doing so while undefeated in the process.
#2. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight
It’s arguable that right now, the hottest unbeaten prospect in the UFC is Khamzat Chimaev. Put simply, since his debut in the summer of 2020, no other fighter has made quite so much impact as ‘Borz’.
Chimaev instantly marked himself out by dispatching two foes in just 10 days, setting a promotional record in the process. Since then, he’s extended his record to 12-0 with a further four wins in the octagon.
More to the point, Chimaev has not been beating down scrubs. His last three wins have come over genuinely proven contenders in the form of Li Jingliang, Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland.
Khamzat Chimaev taps out Kevin Holland in the first round.
#UFC279 https://t.co/9kWjh1Bn5k
The big question mark over ‘Borz’ is which division he’ll compete in going forward.
After missing the welterweight limit by a massive 7.5 pounds for his eventually scrapped bout with Nate Diaz, it looks like his future could lie at middleweight despite the talk of a clash with former interim welterweight champ Colby Covington.
If Chimaev moves to 185 pounds, though, that isn’t likely to hold him back from claiming UFC gold as an undefeated fighter.
Due to his powerful wrestling, remarkable speed and seemingly unstoppable takedowns, Chimaev matches extremely well with both current middleweight champ Alex Pereira and former titleholder Israel Adesanya.
More importantly, his star power could allow him to jump the queue directly into contention at middleweight, making his possible title win all the more likely.
#1. Shavkat Rakhmonov – UFC welterweight
This past weekend saw one of the most impressive showings from an unbeaten fighter in the UFC in some time.
Welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov dispatched the highly rated Geoff Neal by choking him unconscious in the third round, earning a $50k bonus in the process.
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇 𝘿𝙀𝘼𝙇! 🔥
Shavkat Rakhmonov and Geoff Neal gave us 3-rounds of incredible action at #UFC285 😮💨 https://t.co/x5TIqpbdcP
Rakhmonov now boasts a highly impressive record of 17-0, including five wins in the octagon. What’s more, he has never gone the distance with any of his foes, dispatching eight by knockout and nine by submission.
‘Nomad’ appears to have every tool needed to reach the top. He’s a deadly striker with a huge 77” reach for a welterweight. On the ground, he possesses dangerous submissions and a nasty killer instinct. And against Neal, he proved that his chin can withstand serious punishment, too.
Right now, Rakhmonov is ranked at No.6 in the division, but he’d probably be favored to beat at least a handful of the fighters above him.
If he can pick up one more big win next time out, then a title shot could be in his future. With his skills, ‘Nomad’ could easily end up winning welterweight gold whilst undefeated, emulating Khabib in the process.