Soon after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from fighting, Islam Makhachev took over the UFC’s lightweight division. From coaches to MMA pundits, everybody gave their opinion on who was a better fighter between the two Dagestanis. UFC legend, Georges St. Pierre did the same in a recent video on YouTube.
Georges St. Pierre recently sat down with Firas Zahabi on the Tristar Gym YouTube channel. During their discussion, Zahabi plainly asked GSP who he thought would win in a fight between Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.
It’s hard to say. Khabib might have more solid game in terms of positioning, in terms of ground and pound, in terms of takedown… On the other side I think Makhachev has a better submission game. I think he’s more aggressive and more opportunistic on the submission side.
Georges St. Pierre via Tristar Gym YouTube channel
The UFC legend went on to compare the two Dagestani’s in the striking department. GSP said that ‘The Eagle’ seemed to have more power and landed shots with more power. Meanwhile, Makhachev appeared to be more fluid with his shots.
Nurmagomedov and Makhachev never faced each other in the UFC although they were in the same division. They both trained under the guidance of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. After his father’s passing, Khabib retired from fighting and began acting as a mentor for Makhachev, who went on to take over the lightweight division. Nurmagomedov was recently present ringside at UFC 302 when Makhachev defended his title against Dustin Poirier. Despite all his accolades, Islam Makhachev has recently struggled with the title of the #1 pound-for-pound contender in the UFC. GSP addressed this topic as well.
Georges St. Pierre declares Islam Makhachev the #1 Pound-for-Pound contender
For the past few months, Islam Makhachev’s status as the #1 pound-for-pound contender has been questioned time and time again. He had recently replaced heavyweight champion Jon Jones from that rank. However, UFC CEO, Dana White has seemingly refused to accept the Dagestani in that position.
Georges St. Pierre praises Islam Makhachev (Image via Imago)Nonetheless, UFC legend Georges St. Pierre has an opinion in favor of the lightweight champion.
He’s amazing. I think right now he’s the best pound-for-pound right now because of his last few performances. Just amazing.
Georges St. Pierre via Tristar Gym YouTube channel
The performance GSP mentioned was Makhachev’s latest title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. This was the same fight, whose post-fight press conference saw UFC CEO, Dana White state definitively that Jon Jones was the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Thus, the struggle for the number one position in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings continues.
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