"Took him down 3-4 times and actually won the fight" - Eddie Alvarez explains why Georges St-Pierre would have beaten Khabib Nurmagomedov
Eddie Alvarez recently outlined why he thinks Georges St-Pierre would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov in a theoretical bout.
Following Nurmagomedov's retirement in October 2020, speculation swirled about a potential comeback for a super-fight against St-Pierre. However, despite the buzz, the matchup never materialized.
The unfulfilled possibility remains one of the most tantalizing "what-if" scenarios in MMA history, as both fighters are widely regarded as legends of the sport, leaving fans to ponder the outcome of such a clash between two of the greatest to ever compete in the octagon.
During a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, the former two-division UFC champion exuded certainty that had the hypothetical fight occurred before 2020, he could have dealt 'The Eagle' his first defeat in MMA:
"I think Khabib could have beat me, and I’m not saying I could have beat Khabib all the time. I was confident enough to take that fight that I was thinking that if I take that fight, I’m going to beat him that day at that particular place, but that doesn’t mean I will beat him all the time. But I was confident, maybe I’m wrong."
He added:
"I think I would have beat him because if he would have come to put pressure on me, I would have put him down. I would have had the confidence to try to go for it."
Check out Georges St-Pierre's comments below:
Alvarez recently took to the podcast's Instagram page to respond to St-Pierre's comments. 'The Underground King' asserted that 'Rush' would have defeated Nurmagomedov due to superior skills:
"Gleason [Tibau] took him down 3-4 times and actually won the fight, so Georges wouldn’t have been the first. In their primes, Georges wins... GSP fan for life."
Check out Eddie Alvarez's comment below:
Nurmagomedov secured a unanimous decision victory over Tibau at UFC 148 in July 2012, but the outcome was marred with controversy. Many fans believed that the Brazilian, who executed more takedowns and appeared to dominate the striking exchanges, should have been declared the winner.
Although 'The Eagle' effectively pinned Tibau against the cage for a significant portion of the fight, he failed to capitalize on this position with offensive maneuvers and could not secure any takedowns of his own.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's response to Georges St-Pierre's hypothetical fight assertion
Khabib Nurmagomedov has offered his thoughts in response to Georges St-Pierre's assertion that he would emerge victorious if they ever faced off in the octagon.
'The Eagle' wrote on Instagram (via ESPN MMA):
"I learn from this guy a lot. Even hear he talk about me is so interesting. GSP all day."
Check out Khabib Nuramgomedov's comment below:
Even UFC CEO Dana White attempted to arrange a showdown between Nurmagomedov and St-Pierre in a grappling match on the jiu-jitsu circuit, but the Dagestani declined the proposal.