Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated Conor McGregor and finished the decade undefeated, so what gives? The MMA Junkie gang debates.
Deciding on the top 10 fighters over an entire decade is an invitation for an open-ended debate.
Throw in a mandate from MMA Junkie managing editor Simon Samano that each person on the staff was free to set their own criteria on what qualifies as worthy of consideration for the decade’s best list, and a staff that pulls from a wide variety of ages stationed all around the globe, and you have plenty of leeway for a diverse variety of selections.
The end result was a vibrant list, one that demands more conversation. So we gathered MMA Junkie’s Las Vegas crew — MMA Junkie Radio personalities “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” fight analyst Dan Tom, and lead reporter John Morgan — to debate the results of our top 10 fighters of the 2010s in a roundtable format.
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In this segment, the guys discuss one of the most controversial results of our ranking: How did [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (No. 5) end up ahead of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (No. 8)? For one thing, Nurmagomedov dominated McGregor in their UFC 229 bout before submitting him in the fourth round. And for another, Nurmagomedov has never lost a fight, while McGregor dropped two fights in the decade. So what gives?
Watch the video above to hear the crew’s take on this situation. And to watch the full roundtable, check out the video below.
Israel Adesanya is among the fighters who could finish the 2020s as one of the decade’s best.
I’m sure you’ve checked out MMA Junkie’s countdown of our fighters of the decade for the 2010s and have your own opinion on who would have made your list and what order you would have listed them. Now, with a new decade upon us, it’s time to look forward and ponder which names might dominate the MMA landscape over the course of the next 10 years.
And that hugely important job of pugilistic prognosticator fell to yours truly as I pick up the baton and attempt to compile a list of fighters who could lead our fighters of the decade list from 2020-2029.
So here, in no particular order, are my 10 selections in this way-too-early list:
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Jon Jones
Jon Jones
Let’s not mess around here. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, and there’s nobody on the horizon that’s likely to change that soon. And with Jones dominating the UFC’s light heavyweight division, a brand-new chapter could soon open up for “Bones” when he takes the plunge and moves up to heavyweight.
Skill-wise, there’s no doubt he has everything in his locker to be every bit as dominant at heavyweight as he currently is at 205 pounds, but there’s always that X-factor of heavyweight punching power. Jones tends to drag his opponents into deep water, but at heavyweight it only takes one shot to end your night.
To that end, at 32, Jones’ style has avoided taking damage for the bulk of his career. Heavyweights tend to last longer and peak later than other weight classes: Witness Daniel Cormier holding the UFC belt past age 40. Current champ Stipe Miocic is 37, and his first reign began when he beat a then-38-year-old Fabricio Werdum.
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The challenge that lies ahead for Jones is arguably the most fascinating – and dangerous – of his MMA career. And the matchups he’ll face over the course of the coming years will make for some of the most-watched fights of the decade.
He was our No. 1 fighter for the 2010s, and he’s my early-money favorite to finish the 2020s as not only MMA Junkie’s fighter of the decade once again, but also as the consensus greatest mixed martial artist that ever lived.
How did we reach our overall list, and did we get it right?
In pitching the MMA Junkie staff on coming up with a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the 2010s, I had people asking me about the criteria. My answer was simple: There is no criteria. Whatever you think it means to be among the 10 greatest fighters of the last decade, that’s the criteria.
To me, it’s better this way. I could’ve emphasized in-cage results, in which case No. 1 ends up being [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] without question. Same for emphasizing impact on the sport: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes out on top easily. But what fun would that have been? There’s so much more to consider when trying to pick the top 10 fighters of the last 10 years among a pool of talent that never has been better.
The beauty of our list is that all 14 MMA Junkie staff members, who’ve spent so many years covering the sport, submitted individual top 10 lists. No discussion, no debate, no one person’s bias determined our final rankings. We all had a say in this. From there, it was a matter of mathematics – add up points for each fighter ranked and divide by 14 to determine the final rankings.
For reaction to our top 10, watch the roundtable discussion video above with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Below is a ranking of all 26 fighters included, as well as notes about our list.
26 different fighters were included in at least one staff member’s top 10
8 different fighters were included in only one ranking
Individual No. 1 rankings: Jon Jones (7), Demetrious Johnson (3), Georges St-Pierre (2), Daniel Cormier (1), Ronda Rousey (1)
Cormier was the only fighter to be included in each of the 14 rankings.
Jones and Conor McGregor each were excluded from one staff member’s list.
Of 8 fighters included in only one ranking, Cain Velasquez was highest (No. 3); Eddie Alvarez was lowest (No. 10).
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Mike Bohn, senior reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Anderson Silva
6. Conor McGregor
7. Max Holloway
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier
Dave Doyle, senior editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3, Jon Jones
4. Anderson Silva
5. Georges St-Pierre
6. Cris Cyborg
7. Jose Aldo
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. Conor McGregor
10. Eddie Alvarez
Matt Erickson, assistant managing editor
1. Daniel Cormier
2. Demetrious Johnson
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Conor McGregor
5. Max Holloway
6. Patricio Freire
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Georges St-Pierre
9. Ryan Bader
10. Jose Aldo
Brian Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov
7. Stipe Miocic
8. Amanda Nunes
9. Max Holloway
10. Ryan Bader
George Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Conor McGregor
10. Henry Cejudo
Farah Hannoun, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Conor McGregor
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Max Holloway
9. Stipe Miocic
10. Henry Cejudo
Ken Hathaway, senior video editor
1. Jon Jones
2. Amanda Nunes
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Max Holloway
5. Conor McGregor
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Georges St-Pierre
8. Anderson Silva
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Cris Cyborg
Simon Head, reporter
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Jon Jones
4. Amanda Nunes
5. Donald Cerrone
6. Georges St-Pierre
7. Conor McGregor
8. Douglas Lima
9. Cris Cyborg
10. Michael Bisping
Nolan King, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Max Holloway
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Georges St. Pierre
8. Jose Aldo
9. Conor McGregor
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov
John Morgan, lead staff reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Conor McGregor
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Demetrious Johnson
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Jose Aldo
9. Michael Bisping
10. Donald Cerrone
Simon Samano, managing editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Conor McGregor
9. Ronda Rousey
10. Max Holloway
Danny Segura, reporter
1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jon Jones
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Jose Aldo
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Conor McGregor
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier
Abbey Subhan, video editor
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Conor McGregor
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Anderson Silva
9. Carlos Condit
10. Ronda Rousey
Dan Tom, fight analyst
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Conor McGregor
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Max Holloway
10. Tony Ferguson
Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones are among those selected by MMA Junkie as the greatest fighters of the decade.
The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the years 2010 to 2019 have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.
Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade. All 14 staff members submitted personal top-10 lists to create our overall list. Rest assured: We took this seriously.
Without further ado, our complete list:
10. Max Holloway
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Decade resume
Record: 21-5
UFC featherweight champion: June 3, 2017-Dec. 14, 2019
13-fight winning streak
Key victories over Anthony Pettis, Jose Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar
Chael Sonnen says he thinks Tony Ferguson could present Khabib Nurmagomedov his toughest test to date at UFC 249.
[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] could be [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s toughest test to date and says the winner could legitimately lay claim to being the greatest lightweight in UFC history.
Speaking to RT Sport, ESPN analyst Sonnen offered his take on the upcoming fight between UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and former interim champion Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 249 on Apr. 18.
“You know, it’s very hard to pick against Khabib with what you’ve seen and I must also share with you I have a bias towards Tony because we are former teammates,” said Sonnen, before revealing: “I do really like Tony’s chances going into this, and I like them more and more as the fight gets closer.”
Ferguson, like Nurmagomedov, is on a 12-fight win streak in the UFC. His wild and unpredictable style has led to 20 career finishes, including a hat-trick of finishes in his last three outings against Kevin Lee, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.
Undefeated Nurmagomedov has mauled everyone put in front of him, including back-to-back submissions over former two-division king Conor McGregor and former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.
And, considering both men’s resumes, Sonnen says the fight is particularly tricky to call.
“When you’re 28-0 in any division, man, you claim that division,” he said. “Particularly when you are the world champion and he already got some heavy lifting out of the way on the way to the title. If you go back and look at the names that he beat – 10-8 rounds against guys, two or three 10-8 rounds against (Edson) Barboza, just by example – this guy is a hammer. But you are talking about Tony Ferguson – that’s a whole other animal.”
“He’ll attack you from the back, he’ll attack you on the walkout, you don’t know what Tony Ferguson would do. I would never count him out. Whoever wins that fight is the best ever.”
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets a Super Mario-style 8-bit video game makeover, and it’s brilliant.
You can call off Call Of Duty. Red Dead Redemption is dead in the water. Gears of War? Pah! This is the only video game we want in our Christmas stocking.
This is “Super Khabib”, RT Sport‘s Super Mario-inspired rendering of UFC lightweight champ [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] as the Dagestani demolition man embarks on his adventures through an 8-bit world that sees him dodging bears, collecting power-up papakhas and going face to face with the notorious end-of-level boss, Conor McGregor (or “Console McGregor” if you prefer).
As you’d expect, McGregor is a formidable foe, hurling bottles of whiskey and bellowing his in-game catchphrase: “Proper Twelve!” as he attempts to thwart “Super Khabib’s” progress.
But, just like in real life, the intrepid explorer, who appears to be as undefeated in the 8-bit world as he is in the MMA world, gets the better of McGregor to reach the championship belt and the next level.
The video ends there, but we assume Level 2 involves some sort of desert scene, with perhaps a camel or two, followed by a battle with Dustin Poirier before heading on to Level 3, where “Super Khabib” takes on a sunglass-wearing, forward-rolling, cable-dodging, elbow-throwing Tony Ferguson.
And if Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony want to go ahead and make “Super Khabib” a video game reality we’d be more than happy for them to send an advance copy to us here at The Blue Corner.
Of course, we’ll send the location.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks he’s tougher and physically better than Tony Ferguson.
It seems [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] will look to test [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]’s durability in their upcoming clash.
Speaking to RT Sport, UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) gave himself the edge in numerous departments in his UFC 249 matchup vs. Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC), which takes place April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y..
“I always rate my chances higher than those of my opponents, since I can’t approach a fight with uncertainty,” Nurmagomedov said, as translated by RT Sport. “I think I’m a lot better than him at wrestling. I’m much better than him physically. I’m tougher than him, and I haven’t lost yet, unlike him.”
Showing plenty of improvements in his striking game, Nurmagomedov believes he can surprise Ferguson with his power, just like he did when he dropped Conor McGregor with a big overhand right in their UFC 229 contest.
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“Unlike him, I haven’t been knocked down yet,” Nurmagomedov said. “He has – I believe seven UFC knockdowns, a lot of falls from punches, so I can hit, and I’m going to hit him especially hard.”
Despite the advantages Nurmagomedov believes he holds, “The Eagle” said he is aware that on paper, Ferguson is perhaps his toughest test to date, which is why he has already started training camp, despite the fight still being four months away.
“I think it’s probably also right to note his strengths,” Nurmagomedov said. “He’s also on a good winning streak; he hasn’t lost since 2012. He’s a very good opponent. In the history of the UFC there’s never been a fight between two people with 12 wins in a row, so it’ll be a big historic event. As an opponent, I take him very seriously.”
With an incredible undefeated record and boasting a UFC title belt, it’s clear Khabib Nurmagomedov is among the best fighters in the world.
The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the past 10 years have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.
Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a staff-wide, composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade, which we’ll reveal Monday-Friday until Dec. 27. Today, we reflect on No. 8: Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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There’s not much to critique when it comes to current UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], who has emerged as one of the most unstoppable forces in the history of mixed martial arts.
Undefeated in his MMA career, Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) has run through all competition en route to capturing the coveted prize of a UFC belt. He has lost only one round in his career, in his first successful title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 229, a fight he ended up finishing.
Making his UFC debut in 2012, it was not an easy road for Nurmagomedov, who was plagued with injuries early in his career, frequently halting his momentum in pursuit of climbing the lightweight rankings.
After compiling a 6-0 record to start off his UFC tenure, Nurmagomedov picked up a big win over Rafael dos Anjos in April 2014. He was on the brink of 155-pound contention, but a series of knee injuries kept him sidelined for two years, seeing multiple fights with Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson scrapped.
Finally set to make his much anticipated return in a rescheduled bout against Ferguson two years later in 2016, the fight with Ferguson would once again fall through, but this time it was Ferguson who was forced out and replaced by newcomer Darrell Horcher. Nurmagomedov battered Horcher in a one-sided beating, taking him out in the second round.
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From that point, Nurmagomedov would start his dominant reign over the top contenders in the lightweight division, where he was able to maul the likes of Michael Johnson and Edson Barboza, which eventually led to his first title shot, a fight for the vacant lightweight belt once again vs. Tony Ferguson at UFC 223 in April 2018.
Unfortunately, the string of bad luck in the Ferguson fight bookings continued, and in a freak accident, Ferguson tripped over a wire, tearing his knee and forcing him out of the bout. He was briefly replaced by Max Holloway, who ultimately wasn’t cleared to compete due to weight issues, and in unlikely turn of events, Nurmagomedov would wind up facing Al Iaquinta, who was originally scheduled to compete on the same night vs. Paul Felder.
“The Eagle” would pick up another dominant win, employing a slightly different strategy, where he decided to stand and trade with Iaquinta in the latter rounds. It was still more than enough for Nurmagomedov to score a one-sided win, defeating Iaquinta by unanimous decision and claiming the UFC lightweight title.
His first title defense came in a grudge match against former UFC double champion Conor McGregor, who had been stripped of his title due to inactivity. The build-up to the fight got ugly, with McGregor taking numerous personal jabs at Nurmagomedov, in what would become the highest selling pay-per-view event in UFC history. Nurmagomedov was able to get his revenge in the cage, submitting McGregor in the fourth round, using his patented ground-and-pound brutality. Despite losing a round for the first time in his career, it was another perfectly executed fight by Nurmagomedov.
Following the win, Nurmagomedov let out all of his emotions and proceeded to jump over the cage and attack McGregor’s corner. A brawl ensued, and Nurmagomedov ended up receiving a nine-month suspension, forcing him to the sidelines until the following summer.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
After serving the suspension, Nurmagomedov would finally cap off the year by taking on then-interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi in a title unification bout. It was the UFC’s first trip to Abu Dhabi since 2014, where Nurmagomedov, a practicing Muslim, has become somewhat of a hometown hero in the Middle East.
Poirier was coming into the fight having won his last five in a row, notching performance bonuses in every one of his wins. He captured the interim title by defeating then-UFC featherweight champion Holloway in one of the best fights of the year.
Just when you thought Nurmagomedov couldn’t top his win over McGregor, he picked up another finish. His pressure once again proved too much, as he was able to control Poirier, choking him out in the third round and notching his second successful title defense.
Considering the early struggles Nurmagomedov faced with numerous injuries and comparing it to where he is now, it’s been a remarkable run. As the competition level got higher, Nurmagomedov got more dominant.
Perhaps he would have been ranked higher if he wasn’t forced to sit out for two years over the past decade, but he is an undeniable candidate, nonetheless. Nurmagomedov already has his first task of 2020, as he is set to face Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18, where hopefully the fifth time will be the charm.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says the upcoming Conor McGregor-Donald Cerrone fight will have no bearing on the next challenger for his title.
A sizable chunk of the MMA world is getting excited about the UFC 246 clash between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] on Jan. 18, but don’t count UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] among that group.
“The Eagle” recently talked to the media at a press conference for regional Russian MMA event GFC 22 in Krasnodar, and was asked for a prediction for the upcoming McGregor-Cowboy clash.
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But, rather than offering a stylistic breakdown of the matchup, Nurmagomedov (28-0, 12-0 UFC) instead made clear his own view about both the matchup, and the respective records of both McGregor (21-4, 9-2 UFC) and Cerrone (36-13, 23-10 UFC).
“I think Cerrone lost seven or eight of his last 10 fights (actually six). The other one (McGregor) is going into his fourth year of no victories,” he said (via translation by RT Sport).
“It’s like the minor leagues – it doesn’t really matter who wins there.
Nurmagomedov also played down suggestions of a potential rematch with McGregor, and laid out specific criteria for the Irish star to earn his way back to a title shot.
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“I’m surprised that Dana White is saying that if Conor beats Cerrone and I beat Tony Ferguson, there will be a rematch,” he said.
“I decide who I’m going to fight next. To fight me he has to cut weight first, down to (lightweight), and win 10 fights in a row like I did. Then we’ll think about a rematch.
“But for now, he can fight second-rate fighters who lose seven out of 10 fights at (welterweight).” But to think he deserves the lightweight belt, while I’m champion that won’t happen, so everything’s alright. Don’t worry.”
Justin Gaethje, how do you really feel about a possible Khabib vs. McGregor rematch?
[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] is letting the public know how he really feels.
On Wednesday, Gaethje responded to recent comments made by UFC president Dana White.
When speaking on the state of the UFC lightweight division, White indicated that a rematch between champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] could be on tap, should both men win their upcoming fights against Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone, respectively.
“If Conor can get through ‘Cowboy’ and if Khabib can get through Tony, then we’d be looking at a rematch between Conor and Khabib down the line here pretty soon,” White said in an interview with BT Sport released Tuesday.
Not long after the video of White’s comments hit Twitter, Gaethje responded and voiced his disapproval.
Lol at @danawhite “if Conor gets through Cowboy”… what a crock of sh*t.
If White’s alleged plans hold true, the proverbial monkey wrench will be thrown in Gaethje’s pathway to a title shot.
In an interview with MMA Junkie last week, Gaethje said he planned to sit out and wait to fight the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. He believed he was the No. 1 contender.
“I don’t see it like that,” Gaethje said, when asked if he felt like the odd man out. “I think I’m the next guy in line. The title fight is set, and somebody needs to fight the winner of that fight. So that’s me. I got in this sport for one reason, and that was to fight for a world title.”
McGregor vs. Cerrone is scheduled to headline UFC 246 on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. Three months later, Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson serves as the main event for UFC 249 in Brooklyn, N.Y. on April 18.
