"Nobody ever touched my face" - Khabib Nurmagomedov on lightweight GOAT comparisons with Charles Oliveira
Khabib Nurmagomedov shut down arguments that Charles Oliveira has surpassed him as the greatest UFC lightweight of all time.
Over the past few months, Oliveira has proven himself to be the best 155-pound fighter in the UFC with impressive wins over the likes of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler.
Many were so impressed with 'Do Bronx' that comparisons between Oliveira and Nurmagomedov have become a huge talking point in the MMA community. Notably, journalist Ariel Helwani even went as far as saying Oliveira's resume as lightweight champ is already better than Khabib's.
However, 'The Eagle' has something to say about that. Pushing back on the narrative that Oliveira has surpassed him as the 155-pound GOAT, Khabib told ESPN MMA:
"Nobody ever touched my face. And [every] time he goes down, people cannot talk about... like compare me vs. Charles Oliveira. He tapped in [the] UFC three times. Please, come on!"
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Charles Oliveira isn't the UFC lightweight GOAT
Despite admitting that he was impressed by Charles Oliveira's recent run of 11 consecutive wins, Khabib Nurmagomedov has reservations about calling the Brazilian the lightweight GOAT.
The retired Dagestani revealed that Oliveira gets hit and knocked down too often for his liking. During the same interview, 'The Eagle' 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."
Over his last three fights, getting knocked down early and bouncing back has been Oliveira's calling card. While many admire 'Do Bronx' for his resilience, Nurmagomedov is of the opinion that it isn't a good look for the former champ.
Moreover, Nurmagomedov believes his legacy is way better, simply because he retired with an undefeated record. However, his critics argue that his reign was too short to call him the greatest 155-pounder ever.
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For those comparing Khabib Nurmagomedov to Charles Oliveira, please hush your gums, lol..
Also, never bled, bruised or been dropped in a fight. Completely dominated his opponents and remained UNDEFEATED! 😉🤫 https://t.co/ACRxuahOl4
On the flipside, Oliveira is nowhere near as flawless as Khabib. The Brazilian, of course, was once regarded as a journeyman as he suffered a handful of losses early in his career. Then again, his supporters assert that Oliveira's championship run is way more impressive than 'The Eagle's'.