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I think the only way to really compare champions from different eras is to look at their competition because you can't just simply say x champion has more title defenses therefore goat. At the same time I still believe that title fights hold more weight than regular bouts because from the champions perspective they have everything to lose. It really comes down to who they beat as champion imo
The pressure is far more higher and I think being a champion taxes them mentally more than anything. GSP said it himself multiple times that he felt drained and that he needed to take a step back. This is why in Khabib's case it's hard to tell because he has wins over notable fighters but he didn't beat them as a defending champion. GSP has 9 title defenses and fought at a higher weight class but some people still rank Khabib higher because he's undefeated
Khabib's undefeated record is impressive but again the level of competition that was faced has to be looked at closer. He won the title by beating short notice Iaquinta and then his first defense was against Conor who was also coming back from almost 2 years away from the octagon. I'm not saying the outcome would be different but it definitely has to be taken into account
Another thing worth mentioning is that GSP had his first 3 title defenses in the space of 11 months where as Khabib took 2 years
The pressure is far more higher and I think being a champion taxes them mentally more than anything. GSP said it himself multiple times that he felt drained and that he needed to take a step back. This is why in Khabib's case it's hard to tell because he has wins over notable fighters but he didn't beat them as a defending champion. GSP has 9 title defenses and fought at a higher weight class but some people still rank Khabib higher because he's undefeated
Khabib's undefeated record is impressive but again the level of competition that was faced has to be looked at closer. He won the title by beating short notice Iaquinta and then his first defense was against Conor who was also coming back from almost 2 years away from the octagon. I'm not saying the outcome would be different but it definitely has to be taken into account
Another thing worth mentioning is that GSP had his first 3 title defenses in the space of 11 months where as Khabib took 2 years