Khabib is the best LW ever?

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Gotta rack those defences up first. Penn, Edgar and Bendo all have 3, Khabib has 1

This. I think Khabib has a decent argument for being the best overall LW, but he doesn't quite have the resume to back such a claim yet. He isn't all that far imo, especially since the bar for best ever lightweight is set lower than it is in other divisions.

 

[Greco_Wiz]

He’s the best ever as in he would beat any LW in history. Credentials wise it’s close. A case can be made for several others - Edgar, Henderson, Ferguson, Penn.

 

[Taric]

I'm just gonna point out that when a LW finally defends his title 4 times, that fighter is automatically the GOAT LW and there isn't a rational argument against it. Let's get Khabib to do that 'cause that's honestly all it takes.

 

[Arqueto]

I got into the same discussion with my nephew. Actually he was saying that Khabib is "THE" GOAT.

He said the same thing - "Khabib is 27-0." I told him that's cause Khabib has beat a bunch of nobodies, who don't even have a Wikipedia pages and that even the Leagues he fought in predominantly don't even have a Wiki page. He said "Yea but that was before he was in the UFC." I told him that beating a bunch of nobodies does not get you GOAT statues and then showed him BJ's record. I showed him that BJ **DEBUTED** in the UFC and doesn't have 15 fights from unknown Jabronis (BJ has one guy that doesn't have a Wiki page). He started to get mad cause his "flavor of the month GOAT" argument just got destroyed.

I then showed him several recent pages from MMA sites that listed the top LW GOATS and Khabib was never on top and that BJ always was.

BJ was not even fighting 3 years, moved up and beat Matt Hughes for the first time while Hughes was the UNDISPUTED Welterweight GOAT and in his prime. In the same time period Khabib was fighting Ali "Who Da fuck is Dat Guy" Bagov to a decision in some Jabroni league called Golden "Who Da fuck is Dat Promotion " Fist Russia. If Khabib had moved up, fought and beat GSP when he was in his prime, then this would have been a "BJ Penn Level" accomplishment.

BJ was in Title fights less than a year after his MMA debut. BJ (who is a 145lb fighter) fought a close decision lose to GSP (some say he won), fought to a decision with (future) LHW Champ Lyoto Machida at what would be considered Heavyweight. BJ is a two division champ. BJ has 5 victories over UFC/Pride champs (and a few other minor promotion like Shooto, Hero's) and all of them are in higher weight classes than what he is in now. Two of them were Welterweight champs which is two divisions higher up. Khabib has 2 and 1 of those was a Champ from a LOWER weight class and zero from champs at a higher weight class. BJ's first belt was won by beating THE WW GOAT, while Khabib beat 11th ranked(?) Al Iaquinta on pretty mucha gimme fight. Hell so many more accomplishments for Penn.

Yes his star went out some time around 2009, but if you compare Penn's first 8 years to Khabib's ENTIRE career, there is no comparison. Can Khabib surpass BJ? Who knows, but as of right now Penn's accomplishments are way better.

Hawai`i > Dagestan

Solid argument, and BJ is one of my favorite fighters of all time he is the reason I got into MMA and his accomplishments in MMA are legendary, 'but' and you knew that was coming at LW his record is less than 50% he has multiple losses against people he should probably beat, he was always a victim of his own talent, his work ethic kind of sucked and ultimately let him down in big fights when that could have been the difference.

I think Khabib beats the best version of BJ we have seen at LW and I understand that all this is subjective but I'm just stating my opinion.

 

[Maaj19]

This. I think Khabib has a decent argument for being the best overall LW, but he doesn't quite have the resume to back such a claim yet. He isn't all that far imo, especially since the bar for best ever lightweight is set lower than it is in other divisions.

Khabib will likely go down as the best lw ever, he's there skill wise. Beating Conor, Dustin, Tony/Cowboy and even just one more would have him there

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Khabib will likely go down as the best lw ever, he's there skill wise. Beating Conor, Dustin, Tony/Cowboy and even just one more would have him there

I think that's a fair prediction.

 

[jpak]

Can definitely make a strong argument for it, I personally think he is but you can argue for a few others, with 2 more title defences don't think it's debate though

 

[Greco_Wiz]

It’s weird how LW is the only division where goat is unclear and debatable. In all the other divisions there is a strong consensus.

HW - Fedor
LHW - Jones
MW - Anderson
WW - GSP
FW - Aldo
BW - Cruz
FlW - MM

 

[PAPERCLIP30]

He has a chance to be, sure. LW doesn’t have too many GOT contenders. Tony has the case too though. I guess they should fight.

maybe pfp the best!

Idk about that

 

[Communion]

Millennials and TUF noobs chirping away.

Not to take anything away from Ferguson or Khabib, but they do not have the legacy others before them have had. Whomever emerges from the McGregor/Ferguson/Poirier/Khabib quadrotomy will have a claim to be on the following list, maybe even the top spot, but we will see. However, here are the greatest 155 fighters in the history of the sport (imo):

1. B.J. Penn
2. Frankie Edgar
3. Takanori Gomi
4. Yuki Nakai
5. Benson Henderson

Honorable mention: Khabib Nurmegomedov, Jens Pulver, Sean Sherk, Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis

Homo disclaimer: These kinds of lists aren't about who would win in fights against one another, or who actually did win (Edgar over Penn ×2) and so on. These lists are about the dominance over their division and the sport, their impact and legacy. Like I said above, any one of the four guys going for the UFC gold could soon be at the top of this list, but they haven't earned their place just yet.

 

[Arqueto]

These lists are about the dominance over their division and the sport, their impact and legacy.

BJ has a below 50% win record at LW and you have him at number 1? I love BJ too but his record at LW isn't good bro.

 

[Local Plata]

How many times has he defended the belt against top ranked competition?

 

[Local Plata]

Homo disclaimer: These kinds of lists aren't about who would win in fights against one another

Then somehow ranks BJ Penn #1 despite all of the real, objective evidence outside of 'who would win in a fight in the primes' without listing all of the TUFers he beat up during his 'legacy' run.

Lmao, that shit was hilarious.

 

[Communion]

BJ has a below 50% win record at LW and you have him at number 1? I love BJ too but his record at LW isn't good bro.

From 2001-2004 and 2007-10, nearly 6 years as the most feared 155er. No one else has a reign of terror that long, not yet.

 

[Arqueto]

From 2001-2004 and 2007-10, nearly 6 years as the most feared 155er. No one else has a reign of terror that long, not yet.

Most of his fights in that time period weren't at LW though bro.

 

[Dark Individual]

LW GOAT and soon to be the one true GOAT. Fucking LOL at BJ Penn.

 

[Communion]

Most of his fights in that time period weren't at LW though bro.

He went 6-1-1 at 155 from 2001-2004 and was universally considered the best after his destruction of Gomi. He then went to welterweight and up and jacked his record overall, but then came back to 155 in 2007 and went 5-0 before running into Edgar in 2010.

Going into his first fight with Edgar his record at 155 was 11-1-1 and was still universally considered the best 155er of his time, and most considered him the best ever at 155. I still think that run hasn't been matched.

His record outside of 155 is 5-11-1, but even with the Edgar losses his 155 record is still a solid 11-3-1.

 

[Hatorade]

Khabib beats anyone at LW, including prime BJ. I don't think anyone could even take a round from him if he stuck to a game plan and kept his foot on the gas. Khabib is a better LW than Jon Jones is a LHW. The sport has seen far greater fighters, but Khabib is probably the best MMA fighter ever if we're talking about pure dominance. People will laugh at this post, but after he wins just a few more fights, even his biggest haters will have to STFU.........I'm not even a fan of the guy. Is what it is.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

No

 

[Andre Xiong]

It’s weird how LW is the only division where goat is unclear and debatable. In all the other divisions there is a strong consensus.

HW - Fedor
LHW - Jones
MW - Anderson
WW - GSP
FW - Aldo
BW - Cruz
FlW - MM

LW and LHW have been historically deep (LHW hasn’t been for years)

Had Jones never come around to dominate so thoroughly, LHW goat would be extremely hard to pick too like LW (Rampage, Wand, Chuck, Tito, Randy, Cormier, Shogun) it’s just Jones beat Or surpassed everyone on that list

But back to LW, it’s tough, I have Gomi and BJ hanging on in the mix