MLB Star Carlos Correa thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov will never be a UFC goat without this fight (Throwback)

Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered by many to be among the greatest MMA fighters of all time and the former UFC lightweight champion holds a special place in the hearts of MMA fans all over the world owing to his dominant reign at the top.

However, there was a time when the Dagestani native's potential 'GOAT' status was questioned. While Nurmagomedov eventually retired from the sport undefeated, MLB star Carlos Correa once had doubts about him being one of the greatest of all time, unless 'The Eagle' finished Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

In a 2020 interview with Jimmy Smith on Unlocking The Cage show, Carlos Correa was joined by fellow baseball star Lance McCullers Jr. to discuss Nurmagomedov's lightweight reign.

When Correa was asked if he thought Nurmagomedov would be the greatest of all time if he defeated 'The Highlight', he replied:

"That's a tough question. 'Cause Jon Jones has been winning for so long... But if he finishes Justin Gaethje, I would say yes because of how dominant he's been throughout his championship reign... Finish Conor, finish Dustin and finish Gaethje, that's a murder trilogy you gotta go through. If you finish those guys and make it look easy, you're definitely my GOAT."

🎥Hosts of "The Walkout" Podcast, @lmccullers43 & @TeamCJCorrea join @jimmysmithmma on Unlocking The Cage to discuss Khabib Nurmagomedov's run of dominance & whether a win over Justin Gaethje at #UFC254 makes him the greatest of all-time at lightweight ⚾🦅👊 https://t.co/7S3fV5wxi9

Khabib Nurmagomedov dominantly finished Justin Gaethje via second-round submission at UFC 254, thus defending and re-unifying his lightweight title. 'The Eagle' announced his retirement in an emotional post-fight octagon speech soon after.

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Chael Sonnen thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov is leaving Islam Makhachev before his most important fight

Khabib Nurmagomedov recently dropped a bombshell on the MMA community after posting his intention to completely step away from the sport on social media.

Although 'The Eagle' did not confirm the news himself, many close to the former UFC champion seem to have backed up the claims. His manager Rizvan Magomedov also recently claimed that Nurmagomedov will not be cornering Islam Makhachev for his title defense at UFC 284 against Alexander Volkanovski.

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However, Chael Sonnen seems to think that Khabib Nurmagomedov might be abandoning his protege before the most important fight of his career. Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Sonnen opined:

"I can't come out and tell you that Khabib is done and he won't be with Islam... I've got two different statements, one is he's taking some time away... The other... means, 'I will not be with Islam [for his next fight]...' It affects a whole bunch of guys but possibly nobody has a spotlight on them more than Islam, And I cannot realistically imagine a scenario where Islam in his career goes into a bigger match."

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