Baloney. Khabib walked around at 195 and would be 182-185 on fight night:
“Who cuts a ton of weight at 155? Khabib! Khabib cuts a shitload of weight. 195 three weeks ago, 191 when he showed up in camp. Now he’s down to 182, 183... (On fight night he's) probably 185-182, somewhere around there."
https://punditarena.com/mma/thepate...ahead-ufc-219-trashes-alvarez-vs-gaethje-war/
He even competed at 181 pounds for Combat Sambo years ago, so naturally has gotten bigger since then. Your nuts if you think he walks at 171. Sounds like you bought some of the fake news from Khabib about his weight as he was under a lot of heat for missing weight three times and almost dying. Fighters lie about weight for different reasons, much like Conor said he weighed 174 vs Aldo then bulked up and maxxed out at 168 when fighting at WW.
You also conveniently tried creating a straw man to say that I said combat sambo was identical to MMA in every way - we both know I never said that, even used the operative words "essentially is MMA with head gear". Sorry, but I do not think lack of a cage, differences in gloves and having jackets makes that huge of a difference in a cage fight - maybe it makes some smaller differences, like gi to no gi BJJ, but there is a reason a top BJJ BB for the Gi can beat blue belt with no gi. And again, it is not simply doing combat sambo which is important, it is the system in which one does it in and the quality of the athlete (i.e. world champ vs beginner) - Combat Sambo has come a long way over the past 20 years and these top Dagestan guys are all having lots of success.
You ask who has been as successful in Combat Sambo and MMA as Khabib? Ehm, Fedor...you know, the GOAT? Islam also was said to be very even to Khabib - again from the same system and relative clones aside from some small differences - and will absolutely be a UFC champion in my estimation. Aliskerov is from that system too, won world championships at higher weight classes and won more world championships than Islam. Many other successful combat sambo fighters, like Arlovski, have went on to become MMA champions but not even he was close to Aliskerov's level.
Also do do not agree at all that having to beat fighters that competed in the UFC means squat - this is noob think. It is my opinion that Aliskerov would beat many top 20 UFC WW and MW's - if you disagree, fine. I have seen all his fights and think the evidence exists that he would be a top UFC MW, and sorry, I think he would atleast be competitive with Khabib like Islam is reported to be competitive with Khabib, and owing to his size and near identical skillset could very likely beat him.
I get that you are a huge Khabib fan and emotionally invested in him. I think he is definitely one of the best fighters we have ever seen, but I do not buy that he is some freak special athlete, just as I do not think Royce Gracie was or Islam is: they are men from a certain place, time, with a certain skillset that matched up well with the current UFC roster, just as the Gracie system matched up well with the old UFC. I believe Khamzat beats Khabib and there currently is evidence to support that, even if he and his opponents never beat anyone under the Holy UFC banner.
Feel how you want, it is pointless anyways as Khabib would never fight a guy like Khamzat at this point. Time shall tell jut how quality Aliskerov is, but that win Khamzat has over him has aged awfully well with time. He has atleast better opponents in his first 11 wins that Khabib did in his first 11, that really can not be disputed.
