Media Has Merab surpass Khabib?

[Tweak896]

Good take. RDA lost to every good wrestler he faced Tibau, Guida, Colby, Usman, Chiesa, Gamrot...it was a flaw in his game that existed before and after Khabib, so I wouldn't put him in that category like Cejudo, Umar and Yan who showed great defensive wrestling vs competent guys...unlike RDA. Poirier too was getting tossed around at 145 by Cub Swanson and Korean Zombie at 145 and at 155 he went on that initial run not facing any takedown artists but then got wrestled by Hooker which was a terrible look.




I dont think Khabib is unstoppable like you do. He hit a wall vs Tibau, he got cracked vs Poirier, he was getting busted up vs Gaethje and I find the era he fought in kinda poor and especially lacking guys who could handle the grappling he had and the pressure. I think guys like Arman, Islam, Topuria and even Charles are more dangerous fights than any Khabib ever had and he definitely had some issues and moments vs lesser guys, even got taken down by Tibau, Bagov and Trujillo the only decent wrestlers he ever faced. He also really relied on grinding guys with nonstop pressure but he didnt look that impressive vs a non top 20 caliber Al I'Aquinta who was on short notice...and Al was significantly smaller and not world class but actually had cardio and competent grappling....so I dont think its a coincidence. Its similar with Islam, I dont think people understand how bad UFC divisions can be but Islam was getting taken down by Egoyan in the regionals...because Egoyan was a Sambo Champ and wrestled...these guys aren't unstoppable, they just come to the UFC and fight a bunch of grappling virgins because Dana and friends like to protect the fanbase and not sign competent guys or reward certain styles.

Khabib is still greater than Merab, and he is a legend who made a huge impact on this sport. Merabs career isnt over though, but hes running out of great challengers to ever catch up to Khabibs legendary status and Merab is already aging out of his prime. Patchy Mix needed to dominate Bautista and become a new great challenger. Sandhagen is a good win but adds nothing as a guy who already lost to Umar and Yan. Not Merabs fault but the reality nonetheless.

I think it's easy to overlook a short notice fight for the guy who had a full training camp sometimes, a good example is when Usman got a full training camp and Masvidal took the fight off the couch, Usman barely won with clinch and footstomps. Then they both had a camp for each other and Usman ended up KOing him pretty quickly. Same kind of argument could be made for Khabib, and also I'Aquinta is not as bad his record suggests. I just know there was no one at LW that you could look at and even consider a tough fight for Khabib, whatever odds Topuria/Islam at LW would have today, Khabib had no potential opponent that could get close to those odds.

Merab was way better longevity than Khabib and put in the work to stack his resume with names. But I will say the division at the time tilted to favored matchups with mostly strikers for Khabib. I can't think of anyone on Umar's level that Khabib beat like Merab did. Honestly I don't think beating Sandhagen or defending against Pantoja will do much for Merab. I would rather see Merab vs Volk at this point to really test him.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I think it's easy to overlook a short notice fight for the guy who had a full training camp sometimes, a good example is when Usman got a full training camp and Masvidal took the fight off the couch, Usman barely won with clinch and footstomps. Then they both had a camp for each other and Usman ended up KOing him pretty quickly. Same kind of argument could be made for Khabib, and also I'Aquinta is not as bad his record suggests. I just know there was no one at LW that you could look at and even consider a tough fight for Khabib, whatever odds Topuria/Islam at LW would have today, Khabib had no potential opponent that could get close to those odds.

Merab was way better longevity than Khabib and put in the work to stack his resume with names. But I will say the division at the time tilted to favored matchups with mostly strikers for Khabib. I can't think of anyone on Umar's level that Khabib beat like Merab did. Honestly I don't think beating Sandhagen or defending against Pantoja will do much for Merab. I would rather see Merab vs Volk at this point to really test him.

Volks kinda old. Maybe if Jean Silva or Evloev get the belt, that said, I dont really think Merab can beat these guys...the size is a lot to overcome for someone with such a physical style. At least with Islam he might have a very physical aspect to his game but hes also very technical and bigger for his division than Merab is for 135.

Pretty sure hes facing Sandhagen next regardless. After that maybe Bautista or Pantoja which...none of these are interesting like you said. He avoided Aljo which would have been a good legacy fight. Maybe if the UFC managed signing Shaydullaev from Rizin but that won't happen and I think Shay would be a serious threat like Umar was/is to Merab.

Khabib has no wins on his resume on the level of Yan or Umar in my opinion, Cejudo and Omalley are adjacent to RDA/Poirier/Gaethje. The Aldo win is also pretty legit for Merab and the Stots win not bad.

Just because Khabib was dominant in his era doesn't mean hed be in this era. Its kinda like boxing, Canelo wouldn't be a p4p great in the Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, Duran era when all those guys were the best in the divisions he was in himself. Guys like Arman, Islam, Topuria are infinitely better and well prepared for Khabib than RDA, Poirier, McGregor and Gaethje were. Id have loved to have seen Beneil vs Khabib or even Burns, Khabilov or Benson...shit even Diego Ferreira. Guys who were great anti wrestlers, cardio machines, willing to get at it. There were some guys that existed around the same time Khabib did at 155 but paths never crossed. I still think Khabib is the best LW ever, Islam left a little too soon to earn that title.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

 

[Tweak896]

Volks kinda old. Maybe if Jean Silva or Evloev get the belt, that said, I dont really think Merab can beat these guys...the size is a lot to overcome for someone with such a physical style. At least with Islam he might have a very physical aspect to his game but hes also very technical and bigger for his division than Merab is for 135.

Pretty sure hes facing Sandhagen next regardless. After that maybe Bautista or Pantoja which...none of these are interesting like you said. He avoided Aljo which would have been a good legacy fight. Maybe if the UFC managed signing Shaydullaev from Rizin but that won't happen and I think Shay would be a serious threat like Umar was/is to Merab.

Khabib has no wins on his resume on the level of Yan or Umar in my opinion, Cejudo and Omalley are adjacent to RDA/Poirier/Gaethje. The Aldo win is also pretty legit for Merab and the Stots win not bad.

Just because Khabib was dominant in his era doesn't mean hed be in this era. Its kinda like boxing, Canelo wouldn't be a p4p great in the Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, Duran era when all those guys were the best in the divisions he was in himself. Guys like Arman, Islam, Topuria are infinitely better and well prepared for Khabib than RDA, Poirier, McGregor and Gaethje were. Id have loved to have seen Beneil vs Khabib or even Burns, Khabilov or Benson...shit even Diego Ferreira. Guys who were great anti wrestlers, cardio machines, willing to get at it. There were some guys that existed around the same time Khabib did at 155 but paths never crossed. I still think Khabib is the best LW ever, Islam left a little too soon to earn that title.

Yeah Aljo handled Evloev pretty well actually, even though he lost. Merab would've had his hands full, forgot they were training partners. Damn would've been Merab's toughest fight good call. I mean Merab has the same height as Volk, has more wrestling than him, plus if you remember there was a little push for Cejudo vs Volk at one point in time. This could be the same sort of fight. But yeah at this point I think Jean Silva or Evloev are the uncrowned kings at FW, Volk just holding it before he goes, and those guys would be very unfair for Merab.

Khabib's issue for legacy is he was dicked around by the UFC like Islam was, was kind of one of the first guys who nobody ranked wanted to fight, so he was forced to fight nobodies for much longer than Dustin/Justin. Kind of crazy to think if Khabib got an early push he'd be fighting Pettis after getting 4 wins in a row in 2013.

When Khabib joined UFC, Benson got a LW title after winning 3 decision in a year, losing previous year in WEC.
Nate Diaz got a titleshot going 3-2 in 2011, tons of losses earlier
Pettis 3-1 in UFC
Melendez immediate titleshot, then another one winning a fight after.
RDA literally lost to Khabib but won 3 in a row

Yet it took Khabib 9 fights to earn a titleshot and really 6 years to get him names that would even fight him. So yeah maybe he shouldn't have quit so early, but there were so many LWs that skipped past him and left before he even got a shot. Merab got better names early, the thing holding him back was his team mate had the belt.

 

[r-harper-1]

Put everyone ahead of Khabib you idiots …..29-0 never knocked down and didn’t bleed

 

[wolffanghameha]

Merab is easily greater than Edie Munster Khabib. Better wins, longevity, beat top opponents multiple times. Be honest, the only reason anyone still mentions Khabib is because he cowardly quit and ran away. It was not like he was injured or old and had to retire. He was scared to fight. I know I know, he had an excuse, his Mommy say he no more fight, so he no more fight. "Mommy, mommy, the boys in the UFC want to fight me, tell them you say no Mommy, tell them you say no Mommy, tell them no means no ".

Somehow integrity and respect for the feelings of one's family is a vice to some people lol. Khabib already beat Conor's ass, but Conor shitty values still prevail in the minds of some.
Nothing cowardly about it, because he didn't retire due to fear.

 

[theincognito]

Merab might have the better resume.

Legacy (i.e. long-lasting impact)? Not even close. Khabib opened the door for the Caucasus fighters in the UFC. There were hardly any before him and they're all over the place now.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Khabib's championship fights were actually fun to watch