Watch: When Paige VanZant said Khabib Nurmagomedov was the best fighter she had ever seen
Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
When former UFC women's strawweight Paige VanZant was asked to predict the outcome of a potential fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, she picked 'The Eagle'. VanZant claimed that he was the best fighter she'd ever seen.
Check out Paige VanZant's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov below:
Although she hadn't seen much of the Dagestani inside the octagon at the time, VanZant confidently backed Khabib Nurmagomedov to win a fight against 'El Cucuy'.
It was a bit surprising that '12 Gauge' picked 'The Eagle' as the greatest fighter she had ever seen. That's because at the time, she'd only seen him in action once.
"I think actually, okay, so this last time was the first time I ever, I'm new to the sport and obviously I'm young. The first time I ever saw Khabib fighting was his last fight [Edson Barboza]. First time I've ever seen him fight, ever. So, I was like 'holy cow! this guy is a murderer.' So I'm going with Khabib. He's like the best fighter I have ever seen so I'm really excited." VanZant said.
Khabib and Barboza squared off in the co-main event of UFC 219 in December 2017. The former UFC lightweight champion completely manhandled his opponent. He punished the Brazilian with vicious ground-and-pound strikes for the better part of three rounds. Khabib won the fight via a lopsided unanimous decision.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy in the UFC is unparalleled
Khabib Nurmagomedov is certainly one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet. His dominance inside the octagon against the biggest names in the UFC leaves no doubt that he will always be considered among the greatest fighters of all time.
'The Eagle' retired with a perfect 29-0 undefeated record. What's more, he lost just one round in his entire career, something which is unheard of in the world of combat sports.