"He's the most dominant fighter of all time" - Chael Sonnen describes Khabib Nurmagomedov and his UFC accomplishments
Chael Sonnen had words of praise for UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov discussing his accomplishments in his glorious career.
In a new episode of the Beyond the Fight podcast on his YouTube channel, Sonnen spoke about what made the Dagestani fighter one of the league's most dominant ever. He said:
"He [Khabib] is the most dominant fighter of all time, which is provable. He has more 10-8 rounds than anybody in combat history that includes boxing. That's dominance. Particularly, when you're fighting the best of the best, you're fighting the Top 10 guys, Top 5 guys, No.1 contenders, the world champions, when you're doing that. I mean that's impressive." [sic]
Khabib is a former lightweight champion, with the longest reign in UFC history spanning 1077 days. The Russian was unbeaten before his retirement in 2021, with an astounding record of 29-0, also holding the record for most takedowns in a single UFC fight.
Nurmagomedov was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on June 30, 2022. After his retirement, Nurmagomedov purchased Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC), now renamed Eagle Fighting Championship.
Watch Sonnen talk about Khabib Nurmagomedov below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev - Who has been more dominant?
Due to a strong resemblance in their fighting styles, Islam Makhachev has often been likened to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who now faces Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 280.
Nurmagomedov's former training partner has been dominant throughout, finishing his last 4 fights in the UFC. Makhachev appears to have a stronger defensive side inflicting lesser signifact strikes when compared to 'The Eagle'.
Khabib leaves his belt beside Islam Makhachev and says "Future Champ". Islam says he is waiting for Khabib to retire so that he can be a champion. They both are in the same weight division.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov outperforms Islam Makhachev in the takedown average, while Makhachev has a slight 0.2 advantage in submission average. Nurmagomedov has cemented himself as one of the greats in the sport, with the 29-year-old Makhachev aiming to follow in the footsteps of the Hall of Famer.
Expecting his teammate to carry on his legacy following his retirement, 'The Eagle' told ESPN in an interview in March:
"Now, everybody talks about Dustin, Conor, Chandler, Justin, Oliveira. But by the end of the year, it's gonna be changed. I don't think anyone can beat [Makhachev] right now. He will run [the division]."
Makhachev faces Charles Oliveira, who is on a stunning run despite losing the lightweight title due to a weight cut. The Russian will have his work cut out as they face off in a highly-anticipated clash in Abu Dhabi on Oct 22.
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov talk about Makhachev's prospects in 2022 below: