Khabib Nurmagomedov is not the top pick for greatest of all time (GOAT), but it’s not a rare choice either.
Though “The Eagle” didn’t have a title reign as long as Georges St. Pierre or Demetrious Johnson, retiring undefeated at 29-0 counts for something. More to the point, nobody saw Khabib bleed in his entire career, and he hardly lost a round en route to capturing and defending gold in quite possibly the sport’s toughest division. In short, there’s a reasonable and unique argument supporting Khabib for best-ever if that’s your pick.
In what should not be a surprise, Nurmagomedov’s teammate Daniel Cormier is backing “The Eagle.”
“Jon Jones, for as good as he is, has one loss,“ Cormier explained to ALF Global. ”Why? He made a mistake. Khabib never made a mistake … never got disqualified, never got caught in a submission, he made no mistakes … I don’t know why more people don’t share this opinion. Georges St. Pierre has two or three losses. Demetrious Johnson, one of the greatest, he has losses. [Khabib] never lost.“
Though the overall discussion wasn’t targeted at Jones specifically, it still managed to irritate “Bones.” The semi-retired champion replied in an Instagram comment soon after the above video was posted, arguing that Cormier and his pick were influenced by jealousy more than fair analysis.
“I started in the UFC so early that I didn’t even know what the rules were,” Jones wrote. “The night I fought Matt was the first night I had ever even heard the term ‘12-to-6.’ Literally, my entire career has been in the main event, fighting for a world title.
“My brother, Daniel Cormier, your jealousy runs so deep through your blood. I honestly pray that the good Lord heals you from your envy and that, one day, you won’t feel the need to do interviews like this. Until then, it’s flattering to see the passion you have when it comes to me.”
Looking over Cormier’s bracket, it feels like Cormier loving his teammates has a great influence over his GOAT selection than his hatred of Jon Jones. “DC” has never been shy about his bias, though nor has Jones ever hesitated to argue his case as the best ever.
