5 reasons why Alexander Volkanovski is ahead of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the GOAT conversation
Alexander Volkanovski is arguably the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, a suggestion that has become increasingly more difficult to dispute following his dominant win over Max Holloway at UFC 276.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, however, is held in much higher esteem. Undefeated and retired from the sport without ever having even bled or been dropped in 29 fights, Nurmagomedov is an almost mythical figure in MMA.
Upon his retirement, the former UFC lightweight champion sparked a short-lived debate about whether he's the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. While popular opinion eventually established a pecking order with Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre ahead of the Russian legend, the sport has changed since the discussion was last had.
Alexander Volkanovski has emerged as a dark horse in the GOAT conversation. While fans have warmed to the idea of regarding him as the greatest featherweight in UFC history, this list will cite five reasons asserting why 'The Great' is ahead of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the greatest of all time hierarchy.
#5. The asterix that is Nurmagomedov's padded record
The fact that Nurmagomedov defeated 29 different opponents throughout the course of his career is indeed impressive.
However, his record is not without an asterix. Much has been said, including by Nurmagomedov's former rival Tony Ferguson, about the Russian's MMA record. 'The Eagle' is often described as owning a fairly padded record, and one only needs to research the opponent Nurmagomedov faced for his 15th fight to confirm the claim.
Any fighter with serious aspirations who is 15-0 is likely to be signed to a major promotion like the UFC or Bellator due to the sheer strength of their résumé. Cody Garbrandt, for example, challenged for the UFC bantamweight title when he was a mere 10-0 as a professional.
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Ferguson isn't impressed with Khabib's 24-0
"It's a padded record, I see it all the time"
youtu.be/09_ce6R4iEw?t=…
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What, then, was Nurmagomedov doing by the time of his 15th fight? Facing off against Vadim Sandulskiy, who was a 0-0 fighter at the time, making his professional MMA debut.
For his 12th bout, 'The Eagle', an undefeated prospect on an 11-fight win streak, locked horns with Ashot Shahinyan, a low-level fighter who ultimately retired with a dispiriting 2-5 record.
In his 16th fight prior to signing with the UFC, Nurmagomedov faced Arymarcel Santos, a mixed martial artist whose current record sits at 42-38.
Of course, 'The Eagle' sported impressive wins on his record. However, the myth of his résumé being a spotless example of his dominance is misleading considering how poor the strength of his competition was before his UFC run. The strength of his overall competition is important in determining his standing in the GOAT debate, otherwise Ronda Rousey would rank ahead of Jose Aldo for having suffered fewer losses.
For a closer comparison, Alexander Volkanovski faced Shane Young, who was 11-3 at the time, in the UFC for his 16th fight. Furthermore, the only blemish on the featherweight great's record is the knockout loss he suffered at welterweight, two divisions above his current one, whereas Nurmagomedov never dared fight at middleweight.