"The resume is not the same" - Luke Rockhold shuts down comparisons between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira
Luke Rockhold is of the opinion that Khabib Nurmagomedov's resume is incomparable to Charles Oliveira's.
Oliveira recently drew comparisons to Nurmagomedov after his stellar run as the UFC lightweight champion. Since winning the vacant title in 2021, 'do Bronx' has beaten the likes of Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
Notably, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani argued that Oliveira's current resume is already "way more impressive" than Nurmagomedov's.
As far as Rockhold is concerned, however, the narrative is far from the truth. During an interview with Helen Yee Sports, the former UFC middleweight champion said:
"I mean, the resume is not the same. It's completely different. Khabib has never lost one fight, one round. Charles has got a beautiful, amazing story and is a demon of a fighter now. But I mean, he's lost how many times? Ten times? ... Both amazing champions. That's what it takes to be a champion, you have to be resilient. You have to f***ing fight through the bulls***, the downs, and come back to prove yourself."
Check out Luke Rockhold's interview below:
With that said, though, Rockhold clarified that it was impossible for him to pick his close friend as the single greatest fighter of all time (GOAT). Rockhold believes there isn't one person who deserves to be called the best, but added that 'The Eagle' is definitely one of the greats.
Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Charles Oliveira isn't better than him
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently weighed in with his personal take on Charles Oliveira's reign as UFC lightweight champion.
According to 'The Eagle,' he wouldn't necessarily call Oliveira the new lightweight GOAT due to some of his flaws. Speaking with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, the undefeated Dagestani said:
"He impressed me like little bit, but every fight he goes down, you know. This one is a little bit bad for him. Every fight he goes down, couple of times. Last fight, it was like... How many? Two, three knockdowns? [It was the same with] Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje. He always goes down. This is like a little bit [questionable], you know."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's interview below:
Over his last three fights, getting knocked down early and bouncing back has been a recurring theme for Oliveira. While many applaud 'do Bronx' for his resilience, Nurmagomedov believes his lack of defense is a deficiency rather than an admirable trait.