Who’s higher on your GOAT list: Henry Cejudo or Khabib Nurmagomedov? Cejudo’s answer won’t surprise anyone.
The former UFC two-division champion dropped an interesting note during a discussion of his accomplishments about how his accomplishments compare to those of “The Eagle.” pound 4 pounds This podcast was originally sparked by a listener’s question about who has the better resume, Nurmagomedov or Alex Pereira.
One thing Cejudo and Pereira have in common is that they both have won UFC titles in two different weight classes, but Cejudo had to point out that Nurmagomedov has never achieved that.
“I agree. (Nurmagomedov) is not trying hard enough,” Cejudo told co-host Kamaru Usman. “He’s not trying hard enough. I told Khabib this. I don’t want to fight with this guy, but I don’t want Khabib in front of me, and I remember having a really heated conversation between us. I don’t really do that.”
“If Khabib had moved up a few weight classes based on what he’s been doing, yeah, you’d have to (raise him) like he did. But if he could have done a little bit more, I truly believe Khabib would do great things. Style-wise, I think he could have won a title at 185 pounds, even as a ’55 fighter.”
Cejudo became a champion at 125 and 135 pounds, adding those accomplishments to an illustrious amateur wrestling career that culminated with a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Like Cejudo, Pereira won championships in another sport, kickboxing, before committing to mixed martial arts. “Poitan” went on to win the 185-pound title by defeating longtime rival Israel Adesanya in the first of two fights in the UFC, then went on to win the vacant 205-pound title, successfully defending it three times in a seven-month span.
Nurmagomedov is remembered for his dominance in the lightweight division, which traditionally has one of the thickest squads in all of martial arts. He defended his lightweight title three times and retired in 2020 with a perfect record of 29-0. That consistency is what makes Nurmagomedov better than Pereira.
“I think the difference between Khabib and Pereira is that Khabib really went through the gauntlet to win the title,” Cejudo said. “I think that was the biggest thing.
“Let’s look back at Pereira’s career. Once again, speaking of merit, it’s certainly the championship belt. But if you look deeper into how they both got there, it’s a little different. Khabib topped the line at 155 pounds before catching Conor McGregor. He then defended the belt several times before retiring at 29-0.”
“Pereira, you can’t help but talk about it style-wise. ‘Izzy’ helped him. Izzy helped him get there and he was a knockout specialist. I’m not taking anything away from him. He won the belt at 185 pounds and never defended it. He moved up to light heavyweight. , winning the belt and beating it out of people, but it was also similar to how he got a title shot at 185 pounds. They gave it to him.” Sean Strickland, another great striker, although he’s probably never had MMA experience, I don’t think Strickland would go for a takedown. That’s why I’m more impressed with guys like you (Usman) who have been over 185 pounds and defended it many times. ”
Cejudo was unsure whether to name Nurmagomedov or Pereira on his GOAT list, but acknowledged the greatness of both fighters while claiming that Nurmagomedov left some things on the table when he stepped away from the sport.
“You know what?” Cejudo said. “Alex has defeated more world champions. The more I think about it, the more I think about it, yeah, you have to go with the guy (Pereira) who won more titles and defended them a few more times. But I will say this about Khabib: Khabib could have been the first three-division champion in UFC history, in my opinion.”
In a hypothetical scenario where Nurmagomedov and Pereira meet at 185 pounds, Cejudo believes Nurmagomedov would come out on top. That’s another reason why fans wish they had a chance to see an Eagle fly in a higher class.
Still, looking for answers, Cejudo turned to the retired legend.
“Is Alex Pereira’s resume better than Khabib Nurmagomedov’s?” Cejudo said. “no.”