Islam Makhachev (top) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (bottom) each have
a case for UFC GOAT. | 📷: Getty/UFC
Conor
McGregor doesn’t harbor any ill will towards Islam
Makhachev.
McGregor recently listed his greatest fighters of all time in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. He ranked himself as the
greatest while slamming the legacy of Makhachev’s friend and
mentor, Khabib
Nurmagomedov. However, the former two-division champion had
nothing bad to say about Makhachev.
Advertisement
Why Conor McGregor ranks Islam Makhachev ahead of Khabib
Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier
McGregor believes Makhachev ranks above Nurmagomedov on the GOAT
list. He argues that Makhachev not only has titles in two weight
classes, but also more finishes in the UFC than “The Eagle.” The
Irishman has him above Daniel
Cormier as well.
While some believe Makhachev is nearing retirement, McGregor
believes the UFC welterweight champion has a lot left in him.
“He’s above Khabib. Finishes, body of work, both divisions. For
sure, he is. Still at it,” he told Complex. “There’s a lot left in
that boy, and he should recognize that and keep going. I have him
above both his teammates there, Cormier and [Nurmagomedov].”
While Nurmagomedov (29-0) defended the lightweight title thrice,
Makhachev (28-1) broke his record by defending it four times before
moving up to welterweight. The latter dominantly dethroned Jack
Della Maddalena to win the 170-pound title this past
November.
Makhachev is now scheduled to defend his title against Ian Garry at
UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, McGregor (22-6) is set to return in a welterweight
matchup against Max
Holloway (27-9) at
UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.