The term ‘greatest of all time’ is now thrown around very loosely in the UFC, especially towards those that have amassed several impressive title defences during their reigns.
For example, Demetrious Johnson’s incredible record down in the flyweight division is absolutely ridiculous, and while it comes as no surprise that he’s in the conversation as one of the greatest, not everyone is a fan because of the calibre of opponents he fights compared to other divisions.
GOAT
Then there’s Jon Jones’ legacy that has been tarnished due to problems outside of the Octagon, and now Stipe Miocic has been discussed as he's someone who has defended the heavyweight championship three times to become the most successful heavyweight in UFC history.
When you take a step back and look at all of the incredible fighters that have competed inside of the Octagon, you’re going to hear a lot of familiar names that deserve to be considered on that level. Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Randy Couture and Matt Hughes are just a handful of the legends that have paved the way for the new generation - for fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, for example.
The Eagle is another trying to fight his way to greatness, especially now that he’s the undisputed lightweight champion and his undefeated record is still intact at 26-0. Although, it’s clear that he’s going to need to find several top-10 lightweights to really cement his place at the top.
To do that, fighters like Tony Ferguson and Conor McGregor have emerged as future opponents, while you can’t rule out Eddie Alvarez or Dustin Poirier either.
However, when speaking during a Q&A session at a university in Russia, the dangerous Dagestani revealed that he considers Georges St-Pierre the greatest UFC fighter in history, and it’s the very reason why he wants to meet him inside of the Octagon and beat him.
GSP
According to MMA Nytt and speaking via a translator, he said: “The last time I saw him was a hotel in Moscow where I was staying. He was sitting in a restaurant on the ground floor and I was making my way out.
“I approached him from the back and grabbed his neck and started strangling him [in a playful way].
“So we had a talk, a nice talk actually. I think he’s the greatest fighter in the history of the UFC.
“It’s competition and I’d love to fight and beat him. Not because he’s a bad guy, it’s just that the way sports are.”
It’s hard to disagree with Nurmagomedov. GSP is perhaps the only serious contender when it comes to taking the top spot from The Spider when you’re talking about the greatest of all time, so to try your luck against someone like him is enough to have any fighter interested.
While there’s no real rivalry there between the two, it’s obvious that it’s still a chance for the UFC to make a ridiculous amount of money and gauge plenty of interest with Khabib’s record on the line and whether or not GSP can be the main that puts a dent in it.
Do you agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov? Is Georges St-Pierre the greatest fighter in UFC history? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.