Belal Muhammad praises Khabib Nurmagomedov and likens him to Michael Jordan: "I consider him the GOAT"
Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently hailed as the greatest fighter of all time by none other than Belal Muhammad, who compared 'The Eagle' to the legendary Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in history. 'Remember the Name' said so in a sitdown with TNT Sports.
Ahead of his UFC 304 welterweight title fight with Leon Edwards, a rematch he has been chasing for three years, Muhammad spoke about his experience training with Nurmagomedov, which he believes has elevated him to a new level. He said:
"It's just a privilege and an honor and it's still surreal. Because I was always a fan of his and I consider him the GOAT of MMA, so to be able to talk to the Michael Jordan of your sport anytime, 'Hey bro, what do you think of, how you doing?' You're like, 'Bro, what do you mean how am I doing? How're you doing? It's fight week!' So, it's always cool anytime I get messages from him."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov (4:14):
The pair have trained together several times now, with Muhammad always speaking about the legendary lightweight in nothing but glowing terms. 'The Eagle' famously guided him to his first finish in three years when he TKO'd the then unbeaten Sean Brady at UFC 280 on Oct. 22, 2022.
Not only was it Muhammad's first finish in three years, it was his first stoppage due to strikes since 2016.
Jon Jones dismisses Khabib Nurmagomedov's GOAT status
While Belal Muhammad regards Khabib Nurmagomedov as the MMA GOAT, this is not a widely held position among the sport's followers and even other fighters. Though praised for retiring undefeated and matching the all-time lightweight title defense record, 'The Eagle' is not everyone's GOAT.
Jon Jones, another figher who is believed by many to be the GOAT, previously took to social media and dismissed 'The Eagle's' claim to the top of the MMA pyramid. He said:
"I'm talking to all you Khabib fans out there. Fifteen world titles to your guy's four, and you guys are really talking about who's the best fighter ever? You guys are joking right?"
Check out Jon Jones's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov here: