Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

MMA Junkie’s 2013 top 25 fighters 25 or younger revisited: 10 years hence, where are they now?

A little more than 10 years later, how do our 25 best fighters 25 or younger hold up?

In 2013, MMA Junkie, with the backing of the USA Today mothership, put out a specialty magazine.

MMA Junkie’s “Power” issue was our look, in the middle of that year, at the most influential people in the sport.

The Power list of influential people, not surprisingly, has shifted over the past 10 years. But another key component of the magazine was our look at the top 25 fighters who were 25 or younger at the time.

In mid-2013, when the issue was released, Jon Jones was the light heavyweight champion and working on his fifth title defense – and hadn’t yet turned 26 when the issue was in production. And you’d be safe to presume he made the list.

But who else was on there – and more importantly, how did those fighters pan out? We hit some home runs with our predictions, but there may have been a misfire or two.

Here’s a look back at the Top 25 25 and Younger from our 2013 “Power” issue.

Henry Cejudo: Belal Muhammad stylistically ‘the closest person to a guy like Khabib Nurmagomedov’

Henry Cejudo sees a lot of similarities between Belal Muhammad’s fighting style and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] believes [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]’s fighting style resembles former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s.

Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who’s unbeaten in his past 10 fights, spent his training camp leading up to his fight against Sean Brady with Nurmagomedov and his team in the United Arab Emirates. Muhammad ended up having one of his most standout performances, handing Brady his first-career loss when he stopped him by TKO at UFC 280.

After finishing Brady, Muhammad defeated former title challenger Gilbert Burns to emerge as a top contender. If Muhammad gets his long-desired rematch against welterweight champion Leon Edwards next, Cejudo sees him giving Edwards a tough time.

“It’s going to be a great, competitive fight,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel.. “… Stylistically, the way that Belal Muhammad – what he did to Gilbert Burns and how he did it to him, he’s only gotten better. I will say this: The closest person to a guy like Khabib Nurmagomedov, his name is actually Belal Muhammad. They do the same kind of cross steps. They kind of run and shoot. They do the same kind of feints with that lead hand to eventually level change for the takedown.”

Muhammad’s first fight with Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) in March 2021 ended in a no contest after he was inadvertently poked in the eye and rendered unable to continue. Since then, Cejudo believes Muhammad is the one who’s progressed more as a fighter.

“I’m going to have to go back and rewatch their fight the first time and see how that actually went,” Cejudo said. “I will say this: They both have gotten better, but if there’s one person that I would say that has evolved more than the other, his name is Belal Muhammad. He’s just gotten so, so freaking much better. He’s a freestyle fighter.

“It’s not like he has this crazy, swift technique like Leon or beautiful knees up the middle or front kicks that are extremely dangerous. What he does know how to do is mix his damn fighting. He knows how to level change at the right time. He knows when to bait you to eventually go in for a takedown. He knows when to press and when someone is fatigued and tired, like he did to Sean Brady.”

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30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Was Khabib Nurmagomedov’s No. 5 ranking too high?

Khabib Nurmagomedov stirred debate with his position at No. 5 on MMA Junkie’s list of the 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time.

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion.

There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and one of the major discussion points was undefeated former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] getting the No. 5 position after a dominant octagon tenure that, in the minds of many, ended prematurely due to his retirement.

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The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff, with “The Eagle” landing just outside the Mount Rushmore.

Still, was No. 5 too high for Khabib? That was a major point of conversation on MMA Junkie’s special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” where the majority of our staff came together to discuss and debate the finer points of the list, including Nurmagomedov getting such a prominent position despite just 13 promotional appearances.

Check out the discussion in the video above, or watch the entire 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time podcast below.

MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Full list and videos

To commemorate the UFC’s 30th anniversary, this is our definitive list of the promotion’s 30 greatest fighters of all time.

To commemorate the UFC’s 30th anniversary, MMA Junkie has compiled its definitive list of the 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time. We revealed one every day until the anniversary of UFC 1, which took place Nov. 12, 1993.

Our complete rankings, along with videos for each fighter, can be viewed below.

About the list: All 12 members of our staff submitted their own individual 30 greatest UFC fighters list. Each fighter was assigned a corresponding numerical value based on where they were ranked on an individual’s list, i.e. No. 1 = 30, No. 2 = 29, etc. We took those numbers and added them up to get a total number for each fighter to determine the composite ranking of MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time.

30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Khabib Nurmagomedov ranked No. 5

Nobody on our 30 greatest UFC fighters list can lay claim to retiring undefeated except for Khabib Nurmagomedov, which puts him at No. 5.

The UFC is celebrating its 30th year and to commemorate the milestone, MMA Junkie has compiled its 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time. Every day until the anniversary of UFC 1 on Nov. 12 (1993), we will reveal one fighter on our list.

Today, MMA Junkie assistant managing editor Matthew Wells brings you No. 5: [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

You can watch Wells’ career retrospective on Nurmagomedov above; video produced by Abbey Subhan.

Also see:

About the list: All 12 members of our staff submitted their own individual 30 greatest UFC fighters list. Each fighter was assigned a corresponding numerical value based on where they were ranked on an individual’s list, i.e. No. 1 = 30, No. 2 = 29, etc. We took those numbers and added them up to get a total number for each fighter to determine the composite ranking of MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time.

Dana White: Islam Makhachev could go on run that blows away Khabib, every other UFC lightweight champ

Dana White hasn’t been shy with his praise for Khabib Nurmagomedov and won’t be for dishing out propers to one of Khabib’s proteges, either.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] has not been shy with his praise for [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]. He won’t be shy when it comes to dishing out propers to one of his proteges, either.

After lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) knocked out featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the first round of the UFC 294 main event Saturday in Abu Dhabi, UFC CEO White rejected the idea that Makhachev has to live in the shadow of Nurmagomedov, who retired and vacated the lightweight belt in 2020, which paved the way for Makhachev’s ascension and current spot on the throne.

Makhachev was supposed to fight Charles Oliveira, whom he beat to win the vacant title in 2022. But Oliveira pulled out with a cut, and Volkanovski took his second shot at becoming a two-division champ. After a close fight their first time around, Makhachev ripped through Volkanovski in a hurry in the rematch.

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“I don’t know if he really lives in Khabib’s shadow,” White said at his UFC 294 post-event news conference at Etihad Arena. “(Saturday) was a big step in the right direction. The guy’s been dominant. Then, all the controversy that came off that last fight, and he finishes this fight the way that he did. … He went in there and viciously, impressively finished this fight with a (Mirko) ‘Crocop’-esque kick to the head. It doesn’t get any better than that against a very tough, durable guy who has a great chin. You don’t ever see anybody do that to Volkanovski.”

Makhachev trained with Khabib and Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who died in 2020 not long before Khabib won his final fight and announced his retirement. Because of that, he’ll forever be compared to his fighting mentor – particularly because they’re in the same weight class and now have held the same title.

But White thinks Makhachev eventually could supplant Khabib as the best to do it at 155 pounds.

“(If) he keeps doing what he’s doing – you’ve just got to keep grinding and knocking them down one by one – and it eventually happens,” White said. “The truth is, when you look at Khabib – and nothing against Khabib; Khabib came in and won the title and defended – but (Makhachev) could go on a defense run that absolutely blows everybody away that ever held the belt in that division.”

White also thinks Makhachev could take a shot at a second title, himself – but at welterweight, where Leon Edwards currently holds the title.

But White pumped the brakes on that happening in the near future.

“I guess he’s talented enough (to win two belts),” White said. “I don’t see that happening any time soon. He’s still got some guys to fight (at lightweight). But if he defends the belt for another year and wanted to move up, why not?”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

UFC free fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov makes Conor McGregor tap out in heated title fight

Relive the UFC 229 main event in which Khabib Nurmagomedov tapped Conor McGregor – in its entirety.

One of the biggest fights in UFC history can now be watched in its entirety for free on YouTube.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] headlined UFC 229 on Oct. 6, 2018. Still to this date, it’s the most-purchased pay-per-view in promotion history, with a reported buy rate of 2.4 million.

The fight was long-built with McGregor and Nurmagomedov engaged in one of the most vicious and ruthless rivalries in promotion history.

The fight was initially competitive, but Nurmagomedov broke away with the momentum after he rocked McGregor with a big overhand right. From there, grappling became the name of the game.

Nurmagomedov took down and controlled McGregor for much of the fight. As he landed ground-and-pound punches, Nurmagomedov barked at McGregor.

At 3:03 of Round 4, Nurmagomedov finished the fight. McGregor tapped due to a neck crank submission before Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and incited a brawl between the two teams.

Watch the entire UFC 229 main event between McGregor and Nurmagomedov in the video above.

‘EA UFC 5’ rating release for best lightweights: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev get 5 stars

Check out the game ratings for the top five lightweights in “EA UFC 5,” with good friends Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev leading.

With the release of the “EA UFC 5” video game rapidly approaching, fans are wondering who the best characters in each weight class will be.

MMA Junkie will have the answer to some of those unknowns, as ratings are starting to be unveiled ahead of the Oct. 27 launch (with access on Oct. 24 with purchase of the Deluxe Edition) for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

The countdown continues with the lightweight division, which is arguably the deepest in the sport

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Check below for a countdown of the top five rated 155-pound fighters from “EA UFC 5,” who have their striking, grappling and health come together under a five-star system to create an overall rating out of five.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Alexander Volkanovski looked good vs. Islam Makhachev, but ‘all the world knows he lose’

Khabib Nurmagomedov says it never mattered who Islam Makhachev fought at UFC 294 – he’s ready to defend his title.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] believes UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] convincingly beat [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] in their first fight.

Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) retained his title in a unanimous decision win over featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) this past February at UFC 284, a fight Volkanovski thought he won.

Makhachev was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 next Saturday, Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, but it was revealed Tuesday that Oliveira was forced out due to a cut. As a result, Volkanovski will step in on short notice for his title-fight rematch.

According to Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has been ready to defend his throne regardless of the opponent.

“Islam is a world champion right now,” Nurmagomedov said on his Instagram (h/t Anatomy of a Fighter). “If somebody can make 155 and UFC says this guy is a contender, who cares? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who. If King Kong can make 155, OK, bring this guy here. It doesn’t matter. I told Islam today morning, ‘Brother, it doesn’t matter. You’re the world champion.’ Volk, Charles, (Dustin) Poirier, Justin (Gaethje), it doesn’t matter. It’s supposed to be Charles, OK. He pulled out, but we already beat him, and we don’t care about this.

“If they want Volk again, first fight was very good, very competitive fight, but we know and their team knows we win unanimous decision. It was not even split decision. It was unanimous decision. Yes, Volk was looking good in that fight, but he lose, and he knows, his team knows, and all the world knows he lose. OK, they want to bring him again, bring him again. We here. Islam almost on weight, on point, he’s ready to go. We have five more hard days for training, and we ready for Abu Dhabi.”

Volkanovski had Makhachev in unfamiliar territory at the end of their fight after dropping him late in Round 5 and winding up in top position. Makhachev hasn’t competed since, but Volkanovski went on to finish Yair Rodriguez to notch his fifth title defense at UFC 290 in July.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Conor McGregor at UFC 229: Best photos

Relive one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history when Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped rival Conor McGregor at UFC 229.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s submission win over Conor McGregor to retain the lightweight title at UFC 229 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvestrie, USA TODAY Sports)