What does "current Dariush" do better than the one who was there when Khabib was on top and got KOd by Edson?
Benny has beaten journeymen type of guys and then a 37yo Ferreira and a washed 37yo Tony.... He 30-27d a younger Ferreira back then too their first fight. "Current Dariush" is much of the same fighter as he was a few years ago.
Wasnt that long before he needed a hail mary comeback against Drew Dober where he was getting his ass beat. Its funny you didnt mention Gamrot with those other LW names when his name wouldve been there before the Benny fight. And hes beaten Arman too but was a guy who arguably lost to Norman Parke back in KSW.
The top of LW is overstated right now since some are on long winning streaks which happens in every division in every era but its not that much better than the crop of guys during Khabibs time. A shot 38yo version of RDA is arguably still a top 5 LW.
Dariush hasn't improved since his last loss when he was like 28? I doubt it. There was a reason people thought he was favored to lose to Gamrot. It would be a bit odd if he had not been at least a bit better after 5 years of training.
I dont get how it is funny I didn't mention Gamrot. If you think I am cherry picking then...I obviously mentioned Arman who lost to Gamrot (of course most people thought Arman beat Gamrot...). I mean I mentioned the guy who beat Gamrot - but yes, Gamrot would be a good one also. We do not know how Gamrot would do against Dustin, Gaethje and Chandler because they won't fight him lol. Was I suppose to list the entire top ten?
RDA isn't top 5 in any more. He got beaten very easily in his last fight and he's 38 years old.
The LW division
is better than it was several years ago. I'm not even sure how that is debatable. Gaethje and Dustin were Khabib's premier wins during his title reign. Dustin and Gaethje have both been in their primes the past several years and have obviously lost or struggled with several fighters, and that isn't including the international fighters they are ducking and would likely lose to at least some of them.
LW is deeper now than Khabib's time. The two biggest differences between now and before is Khabib and Tony are either retired or are about to retire. Khabib never ended up fighting Tony, so it's not even relevant to Khabib's time as a champion. Even McGregor is still around, he just isn't that great either. RDA was in the welterweight division during Khabib's time as an interim-undisputed champion.
LW was not that great and I remember back then thinking that as well. I remember telling my friends that BW and FW were way more interesting than the usual suspects in LW and WW. LW and WW get by a lot on reputation of always being deep including times when they're not...very deep. Khabib's era also benefited immensely because McGregor who was already the biggest draw became a megastar from Mayweather.
Off the top of my head, Edson Barbosa is Khabib's 5th best win by a long shot. Edson in his prime was a very good fighter for sure - but compare that to most GOAT candidates 5th best win and it looks lack luster.
If Khabib had fought longer he would have had a new wave of opponents totally different from the recent challengers (because he had beaten two of them already). We don't know how Khabib would fare, and much of the old guard will not fight the new guard making it even more abstract.
Charles Oliveira is the best bridge we have to see how they would compare, and we know that at the very least
Gaethje/Dustin did not rule the post Khabib era. Those statements Khabib made about how there is no one worth fighting after he beats them was hyperbole - that isn't hypothetical that is true.
We know at the very least one fighter would have beaten the same guys Khabib beat.
