Trumps Calls Khabib ‘The GOAT’

Former US President Donald Trump has described Khabib Nurmagomedov as the ‘GOAT’ following their interaction at UFC 302.

Trump watched cageside as Islam Makhachev defeated Dustin Poirier via a fifth-round submission to retain his UFC Lightweight Belt. Khabib played a pivotal role in the victory, given he helped train Makhachev for the fight. Khabib was also in the corner on fight night. Following the victory, Khabib and Trump were seen interacting about the Israel-Palestine war. Khabib called on Trump to help end it if he won the 2024 Presidency. 

Now, Trump has given the fighter his praise. Khabib retired undefeated with a 29-0 record. Khabib had memorable wins against Poirier, Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. His final fight was the win against Gaethje. Nurmagomedov retired because of his father’s passing, promising his mother he would never fight after that. Khabib joined the UFC Hall of Fame in 2021, as Trump had nothing but praise for the fighter.

Trump Reacts

Nevertheless, not everyone holds that opinion. Dana White has repeatedly stated that UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is the greatest ever to do it. Jones showed his greatness when he returned from three years out of the UFC to beat Ciryl Gane. Gane was the top dog in the division following Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC. However, Jones made light work of the situation, beating him in a first-round submission to become the champion.

White also stated that Jones has never been defeated. However, he has had a disqualification against Matt Hamill. Jones has also tested positive on more than one occasion. His behavior outside the UFC has also tarnished his reputation after being arrested. Some of those were for a DUI in 2012 and for domestic violence in 2021 after Jessie Moses accused him. And yet, White still put Jones ahead of Khabib, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

White Reacts

“Jon Jones — there’s no debate. Nobody can debate who’s the greatest of all time. It’s absolutely positively Jon Jones. He’s never lost. He’s never been beaten in the Octagon ever. “He destroyed everybody at Light Heavyweight, which at the time was the toughest weight class in the company and the sport. And then he moved up to Heavyweight, won easily at Heavyweight. And the other thing is that you have to factor in too is longevity.

“It’s undeniable. You can hate all you want. Jon Jones is the greatest of all time I think that Khabib had the potential to be in the running for that. He just didn’t stick around a lot. First of all, he had injuries that, you know, he should have been where he got a lot sooner had he not had the injuries that he had, and the setbacks in his career. But, there’s no doubt Khabib is one of the all time greats,” White stated 

Nevertheless, if greatness is measured outside the cage, Khabib has a greater claim. His legacy has resonated at a bigger scale, making him one of the most popular fighters ever. He has given back to the sport, training several others, such as Islam Makhachev. Khabib has also been praised for sticking to his word for not fighting following the death of his father, as he promised his mother to walk away from the sport. While Jones has a greater CV, Khabib is seen as the people’s champion. 

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