Khabib or McGregor

ESPN routinely ranks the greatest UFC fighters of all time, and yet neither Khabib Nurmagomedov nor Conor McGregor feature in the top 10. These two prize fighters are among the most popular UFC stars of our time, and it's worth evaluating their skills against the likes of champions like Anderson Silva, Georges St Pierre, John Jones, Matt Hughes, and Chuck Liddell, et al.

Left, right, uppercut, jab! Khabib or McGregor who is boss?

Khabib Nurmagomedov ranks highly in the men's pound for pound arena. In 2020, he weighed in at #2, while Conor McGregor ranked at #9. As a champion fighter, Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov has an impeccable record of 28 wins-0 losses-0 draws. 8 of his wins came by way of knockouts (KOs), and 8 of his wins came by way of submissions. He has 50% striking accuracy and 45% grappling accuracy. Few UFC stars can compare to his prowess in the ring.

At UFC 229 – October 6, 2018 – Khabib Nurmagomedov took on the trash talking Conor McGregor. The fight ended in round #4 in a time of 3 minutes and 3 seconds, by submission. It didn't take long for Khabib to be crowned the winner, with a total of 208 strikes, 140 sig. strikes, 6 take downs. Compared to his opponent Conor McGregor, Khabib was way ahead of the eight ball. McGregor landed 192 total strikes, 102 sig. strikes, and managed 0 take downs. ‘The Notorious’ McGregor was all hype and no action against ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov.

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In their epic battle, Khabib’s strategy was clear: go for head shots. He did this sublimely with 83% of his strikes directed at McGregor's head, 16% at the body, and just 1% at his legs. By contrast, McGregor landed 67% of the strikes at Khabib’s head, 31% at his body, and 2% at his legs. Khabib’s ground game was his strength – with 70% of his strikes by position on the ground, and McGregor dominating in distance strikes at 54%. That individual performance aside, who is boss of the Octagon?

For his troubles against McGregor – and there were plenty of them in the post-fight melee that ensued, he earned $2 million – a fraction of what McGregor commanded for his efforts. As a result of the raucous action post-fight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) held his purse pending investigations.

Khabib is the 2-time ‘Combat Sambo World Champ,’ and he is also the reigning UFC lightweight champion.

For the Love of Irish – McGregor Brings His 4 Leaf Clover to The Ring

Let's shift our attention to ‘The Notorious’ McGregor and see how he ranks in terms of his fighting pedigree. McGregor is the #3 lightweight division fighter with 22 wins, 4 losses, and 0 draws. From his very first fight against Brimage, McGregor has shown hunger, raw talent, and impressive fighting credentials. He boasts 20 wins by way of knockouts (KOs), with a striking accuracy of 49%.

McGregor’s grappling accuracy is at 63%. His last fight took place against Cerrone on 18 January 2020. It ended in round #1 in 40 seconds, with a TKO. Going into the fight, McGregor was ranked at #4, and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was ranked at #5. It was a completely one-sided affair, with McGregor landing 40 of 54 strikes, and 38 of 52 sig. strikes. The fight clearly indicated McGregor's hunger to return to the top of the leaderboard.

McGregor is the former 2 divisional champion of the UFC.

Trash-Talking McGregor Proves No Match for Skilled Nurmagomedov

The fight between these two larger-than-life characters was part hype, part real tension existing between the two, with lots of bad blood in and out of the octagon. This is nothing new in the world of combat sports, and has long been a feature of the boxing world, and the mixed martial arts arena. McGregor's uncouth behavior is certainly part of his act, designed to maximize hype and revenues for the bouts. That he earned an estimated $50 million from his fight with Khabib is nothing to scoff at. Before that, he raked in a whopping $100 million in August 2017 when he competed against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match.

Based on performances alone, Khabib Nurmagomedov is clearly the superior fighter. This is evidenced by his victories, his record number of take downs, and his high ranking in the UFC. One of the biggest disappointments of late was the cancellation of the Ferguson versus Khabib fight – a testament to this Khabib's outsized contribution to the world of mixed martial arts. Dana White has been trying to put together a card between the two prize fighters, but with the fight cancelled several times to date, it looks unlikely that this event will take place any time soon…

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*Image courtesy of John Locher and AP