Khabib Nurmagomedov tops UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings after beating Justin Gaethje… but is he the best fighter in the sport’s history?

Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the fighting world when he announced his retirement from MMA, following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.  

The Russian fighter dispatched his opponent one minute and 34 seconds into the second round, courtesy of a triangle choke, leading to him successfully defend his title.  

After the bout, UFC president Dana White revealed that Nurmagomedov had injured himself in training a few weeks prior, as he said: ‘Apparently, he was in the hospital – he broke his foot three weeks ago.’ 

However, ‘The Eagle’ didn’t let this affect his performance and bowed out with the same class he’s always shown throughout his 12-year career.  

He later gave his reasonings for retiring, as he felt he couldn’t continue in the sport following his father’s death earlier in the year – who unfortunately passed as a result of complications from coronavirus.  

Nurmagomedov said: ‘I talked with my mother, three days, she doesn’t want me to fight without my father.’ 

This victory took his flawless record up to 29-0-0 while inflicting only a third career loss for Gaethje – who currently sits as the No 10 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.  

There is no doubt that he has cemented his place in the sport’s history and is certainly in the conversation to be the best pound-for- pound fighter of all-time.  

Fans could also make a strong case for former lightweight champion Jon Jones, who finished his career with a record of 20-1, with his only loss being a controversial one as he was wrongly disqualified by the referee.  

Georges St-Pierre also has to be considered as he won titles at two different weight classes along with Anderson Silva.  

However, Nurmagomedov showed the world how much talent he possesses against Gaethje, as many pundits and fans predicted him to use his elite ground-work to get the victory, but he proved his versatility.  

For much of the first round he was on his feet, going toe-to-toe with a fighter who thrives in these situations, which is shown by his record of 19 knockout wins out of 22 fights.  

The 32-year-old asserted his dominance from the off, holding the centre of the octagon and applying relentless pressure on Gaethje, landing with some solid punches.  

Then in the second round, he adapted his style and perhaps caught his opponent off guard when his successful take down gave him the opportunity to trap him in a triangle choke.  

Once in this position, there was never going to be any other outcome, as his immense strength put the American to sleep.  

It was the ultimate display, showcasing the well-rounded skillset he has honed over the years, as his combination of work-rate, toughness, strength, power and illusiveness proved too much for an elite opponent.  

On Tuesday, Nurmagomedov moved above Jones in the pound-for-pound rankings into top spot to only add to the argument that he is in fact the greatest to ever set foot in the octagon. 

By James Humphreys