"He only really fought elite competition in his last few fights" – Michael Bisping on who fought the better competition out of Khabib Nurmagomedov, GSP, and Anderson Silva
Michael Bisping revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov didn't fight world-class opposition for as long as GSP or Anderson Silva.
'The Count' recently appeared on the True Geordie Xtra YouTube channel to discuss which UFC 4 Prime Icon had the greatest prime. Bisping stated that Nurmagomedov only faced elite competition during the last few fights of his career. This was due to the matchmaking in the UFC, where a fighter climbs through the ranks, wins and then defends the championship against the best contenders in the division.
"Who fought the toughest competition out of the three? Not Khabib, sadly. I don't say that from an insulting perspective, and that's why some people argue about the GOAT status of Khabib because he only fought elite competition in his last few fights. Anderson Silva and GSP certainly fought some great competition," said Bisping.
Bisping and Brian Davis went on to compare the other two candidates' resumes. They noted that while 'The Spider' often dismantled his foes with ease, GSP played it safe and ground out several decisions, which his critics held against him.
Watch Michael Bisping's appearance on True Geordie Xtra below:
Michael Bisping believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov retired during his prime
During the show, Bisping was asked to pinpoint Khabib Nurmagomedov's prime. He stated that unlike most fighters who retire with their skills on the wane, 'The Eagle' hung up his gloves at the peak of his powers. 'The Count' was particularly surprised considering how good the Dagestani looked in his final outing against a dangerous opponent.
"It's a very unusual scenario because for Khabib Nurmagomedov, I really think when he retired, that was his prime! And the reason I said that's unusual is because people normally retire when they get to the end of their career, when their skills are starting to wane a little bit... I mean, the way he took out Justin Gaethje – and we know the success that he's just had –Khabib went out there and made it look easy, and to finish the fight the way he did was so sublime. It's weird but Khabib retired in his prime," said Bisping.
The former middleweight champion also added that he respected Nurmagomedov's decision to step away from the spotlight.
Check out Khabib announcing his retirement: