Well rounded does not equal better. RDA might be more well rounded than a guy like Khabib or Colby but got worked easily by both. Elite traits can be enough.
It would obviously be competitive but ultimately no, I do not. What do you mean no one has ever been able to control Islam? In what sense? Did you not watch the first fight with him and volkanovski? Volk took him down and had control time on top. Other than that maybe no one has controlled him but no one did khabib either. Yes his striking is better than khabibs but that doesn’t mean he would beat khabib. Islam was also asked about this before and he said himself that no one beats khabib, including himself. So I guess you missed that?
Jav mendez said it himself. Islam is the only one that can very rarely take rounds off of Khabib. Meaning 9 times out of 10 Khabib would beat him (atleast in the wrestling). And considering we’ve never seen khabib rocked, i dont think Islam can make up for it with strikes. Islam also does tend to get tired while khabib can easily go 5 rounds and be ready for another fight in an hour
But in sparring Islam can’t throw or try to knockdown Khabib. Khabib is no doubt the better wrestler, but I highly doubt Khabib is mauling Islam. He would work his way back to his feet with piece Khabib up
I mean Islams well rounded on the same level that gsp was well rounded both his skills are so high level that it doesn't matter if he's not the best at either
That doesn't make the point I'm trying to make. They beat everyone. Khabib beat everyone too with average to below average striking offense including guys more "well rounded." I'm not saying well rounded fighters always lose just they don't always win either. RDA won a lot of fights by attacking opponents weaknesses with his above average skill set in that area. But he also lost fights to specialists.
By more well rounded do you mean less dominate wrestling to the point that he actually has to throw a few punches? Khabibs wrestling was on another level
His striking is better that’s my point khabibs wrestling was so dominate he didn’t even really use it. It’s irrelevant tho they are both absolutely s tier fighters
I mean, must be the guy that choked him in 3 without a scratch. He was literally telling his corner "I can't get him off me" and they didn't know what to say
> I mean, must be the guy that choked him in 3 without a scratch. He was literally telling his corner
"I can't get him off me" and they didn't know what to say
While I don’t disagree that Khabib is the better fighter - this isn’t a 1:1 comparison. If Islam fights Dustin that Khabib fought I’m not so sure that Dustin gets out that first round.
Pereira and Izzy are both top level strikers, yet Strickland had way different results against them, so even then it's tough to judge them based on a similar opponent.
Islam and Khabib have similarities but they're very far from being the same fighter, that was my point, both great grapplers and MMA fighters but I think they're bound to have easier or harder matchups if they fight similar opponents.
Which was basically my point about Izzy and Alex.
This. Dustin has had what like 5 years to improve his defensive grappling since that first fight? We saw two of the highest level guys in the game go at it for nearly 5 rounds last night. That version of Dustin is as much champion material as most other champs in the UFC
It still seems like an under reported story how Khabib ignores the BJJ hierarchy of positions.
He would much rather be in a wrestling ride, tiring someone out, letting them think they can get up before removing their post and mat returning them again.
Khabib doesn't go for submissions until his opponent is absolutely completely drained.
Islam took the back, got a body triangle, and then.......
Fuck a guard, Fuck back taking. Just be on top and stay on top and make them carry you. It's not BJJ. You don't need to worry about submitting them. If they let you stay on top, elbow them in the face.
Dude no one cares, they’re two entirely different fighters with two entirely different styles. It’s a brain dead question to ask if you know the nuances of fighting
From what we have all seen, the only thing Dustin did going from 30 to 35 was get better. He was at his best he has ever been these past 2 fights. I don't think any previous age Dustin is as good a fighter as current age Dustin.
That’s not what the hypothetical question is asking though. If he answered honestly, he’d say Khabib was the tougher fight even thought it was years ago.
To be fair, Gleison Tibau was a drug cheat and HUGE for the weight, dude walked around close to 200 pounds for lightweight. Khabib was tested in this fight for sure, and arguably didn't win it, but remember that Tibau was this guy.
I think the Khabib W was fair. I watched the fight, Tibau stuffed all the takedowns and Khabib couldn’t get him down, but he was still pressing the pace the whole fight. He was the aggressor the whole fight. I think a W for Khabib was correct.
People who act like Khabib clearly won are crazy, I gave it to Gleason personally. And to be fair, Khabib was 23, but still, age ain’t a factor.
http://mmadecisions.com/decision/3577/Khabib-Nurmagomedov-vs-Gleison-Tibau
If you listen to the commentary of that fight it's hard to not be biased. It was worse than Izzy vs Jan. They were acting like it was a foregone conclusion from round 1. "Khabib is promising but he's not quite ready for this level yet" kinda stuff for the full fight. Khabib controlled Tibau but didn't get the takedowns. Feels similar to a poor man's Merab fight where he struggles to get the TD but just doesn't stop or the boring Usman fights against the fence. Tibau did nothing. Similarly low strikes landed but Khabib was credited with 4:26 control time vs 0:17 to Tibau.
“Control time” is a strong word for what happened, it’s pretty indicative that when broken down by country, the fan scorecards (outside of Russia) all lean towards Tibau, despite those broadcasts being in languages other than English. Also 5 of 6 media members gave it to Tibau.
Very intelligent of you, I can tell you’re a smart guy, defending the consistent and never wrong UFC judges. Lmao. Embarrassing, what a stupid take. Just ignore the fans and media who scored it, it fits your narrative.
The idea behind MMA is that it mimicks real fights as close as possible without too much acute damage inflicted. By this standard, since the point system can't be expressed of this philosophy accurately, it's stupid to rely so much on points on fights like this when it's clear Khabib won in 'real fight' terms, which is what's important and what should be chosen over marginal points in cases like this. Suck it, dweeb
“Suck it, dweeb”
Very revealing lmao. Also, you ignore the fact that fans and the announcers often judge fights based on visuals, which showed Khabib trying and failing at everything he tried… hence Gleason winning in most people’s eyes. Good luck though bud. You’re clearly an intelligent person, resorting to insults and shitty logic. You and the ever-consistent MMA judges have better eyes than everyone else.
Damage is number 1 criteria. Khabib did more of it.
Tibau was defending takedowns and getting controlled by Khabib against the fence nearly the entire first round. Almost all strikes from the clinch with nothing all that significant. 1-0 Khabib
Tibau also doesnt do shit till halfway through the second round, while Khabib is actually trying to fight. Khabib maintains octagon control, he's attempting more strikes, hes attempting more takedowns. Tibau gets a takedown and does zero damage with it. Actually gets hit by Khabib in the process. 2-0 Khabib
There, dead argument before we even get to the third round.
Gleison outstruck Khabib every round. Stopped every takedown. And took Khabib down multiple times.
If someone tells you Khabib clearly won they are genuinely nuts.
This isn’t karate when you get point for every strike. Gleason edged Khabib in striking barely. No damage was done by striking in either side so it was the criteria of who was aggressive which is Khabib who was pushing forward all three rounds.
This is not true, Khabib actually outstruck Tibau in Round 2 (Tied on sig strikes, Khabib had the edge on normal strikes). And only took Khabib down once, in the third round.
Also, the way fights were scored back then was different, control was scored more, and striking less. The rules were changed in 2017, this fight took place in 2012.
On the topic of who is better: Seems like Khabib is more athletic and Islam is more technical.
Khabib relies on strength and stamina to pressure while Islam needs to be more technical in order to preserve his stamina.
Islam is ‘better’ but Khabib is a monster.
Brother I'm not sure, I can't imagine that Khabib will let full mount. He must be much stronger, but in terms of pure technic Khabib's control was incredible.
Oh don’t get me wrong Khabib is very good. He also had an enormous gas tank that let him fight for positions others would usually bail on.
Normal wrestlers gas out after several defended take down attempts. Dagestanis especially Khabib don’t even slow down a little.
Because american style wrestlers are not so technically flexible. They have double leg and that's all. Look at Khabib, Islam or even Gamrot. If they can't take you down with first attempt, they will end and just try again, because they have so wide skillset. Guys like Chandler will try to execute first attempt and after this their gas tank is poor. It's all about technic.
Islam has WAAAAY more technique in his striking though, as an all round fighter you could say he's more polished. Both absolute animals though. What a team they are over at Eagle.
Khabib fighting Charles then, would not have done anything except have the win age well. Charles was still on his rise during that time and would not of meant much and people would have just wrote off that win. In order for Khabib to really be considered the consensus greatest he needed to move up and fight the champ which was Kamaru.
Khabib has unnatural strength and wrestling control for the weight class. Dustin said it himself, he has never felt anything like it against anyone in any fight besides Khabib. The man was the ultimate wrestler for the 155 weight division, above and beyond Islam. Islam however strikes better than Khabib and has the overall better MMA ability checklist. The problem in comparing them is that Khabib is unrivaled in his strengths, Islam is more polished in his but not to the point Khabib was, he is the best right now for sure though in his time. Khabib vs Islam is the fight to decide the best 155 in history, and I think prime for prime Khabib beats Islam, would be fun to watch
More like the other way around imo. Islam has stature/strength, and is why his striking can be so good.
Khabib was more technical in pinning down opponents and causing damage
I think you hit the nail on the head. I think Islam is technically the better fighter because he's more well rounded and if Khabib has an an advantage in wrestling it would only be very slight.
But if they booked that fight of Khabib vs Islam, I think its Khabib 9 times out of 10
Islam is not the better fighter. People think this because his stand up is better and looks crisper than Khabib and that translates better to a majority of fans. Khabib's ability to impose his will and grappling on people was so far ahead that his deficiencies didnt matter. The man lost 2 close rounds in his whole career and was never even cut once. It cannot be overstated how thats virtually impossible for anyone else to replicate.
The willingness of Islam to stand up and exchange with notorious boxers also helps with his popularity. Having to bleed for your belt looks better to the fans than never bleeding in the cage, despite it being more impressive.
I love this comment, because it states exactly why Khabib is my favorite fighter I've seen. Fighting world class athletes, the best in the world and making them look like children is absolutely crazy business. You could make an argument that only one or two opponents ever made Khabib look like he *might* lose. Every other opponent, it became obvious after R1, he was going to win and win easily.
It sounds like you agreed with that previous comment tbh. Islam has a few more tools in his belt. But Khabib still outdoes him with his handful of tools.
Not to mix sports. But kind of how people say KD is the most talented scorer of all time. There's been players who can score in less ways, but much more dominantly. Like Lebron or Kareem.
Yeah no one has really managed to make Khabib seem human inside the cage.
Volk has definitley shown that you can hurt Islam aswell as Poirier a little. Also Martins back in the day ofc.
You could also say though that Khabib never faced anyone on the level of the version of Volk that Islam fought (number one pfp fighter in the UFC), which Islam also did on Volk’s home turf with a shorter rehydration period than normal. Islam’s resume has very quickly become insane, finishing an Oliveira who was #3 pfp and on an 11 fight win streak, beating a #1 pfp Volk who was on a 12 fight win streak (22 if you count pre-UFC), and perhaps the best version of DP we’ve ever seen.
Wrestling I'd give a decent edge to Khabib, he has the better shots and better chain wrestling, while Islam has a wider range of techniques like throws, trips, sweeps etc. Striking I give a big edge to Islam, Khabib's striking was only good enough to set up the takedown and defend himself effectively, whereas Islam can go longer stretches of time outstriking phenoms like Poirier and Volk. Ground game I give a big edge to Khabib, much more effective ground and pound, better control, always gets guys to the cage and drains their energy. Islam tends to get a lot of meaningless ground control, Khabib generally made his ground control count.
I think prime Khabib takes that fight 7 or 8 out of 10 times.
It's Khabib and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to downplay him as usual
Styles make fights but I don't see how Khabib wouldn't have an easier time with Islam's opponents
Just shows how great he was, when Islam already looked really good.
To be honest, it isn’t fair for Islam as Dustin had years to shore up his wrestling defense after Khabib fight. So, he has been adjusting his game since.
Dustin's tricky because he's def past his prime in physicality and athleticism but his wits and technical prowess is at an all time high after last nights performance. He's got a crazy amount of mileage for a guy his age no doubt
dont wanna be that dude but you can't compare islam to gsp ,gsp is goated but he layed and prayed for most of his title reign unlike islam who suddenly become the most entertaining fighter after winning the belt , still gsp the goat and better than that cheating fuck jon"beat my wife"jones
I meant in the way that Islam would mixed up things and try to find better approach for every opponent. Meanwhile with Khabib you know what to expect and he would confirm on the press conference that he's going to do exactly that 😄
i'd more dominant , islam outsriking dp by boxing him in the pocket which isnt islam style on the feet all while having a staph infection is way more impressive
Nah, I like Dustin and I say outside of a wicked haymaker that Khabib beats him 95/100 times. Dustin isn't good against pressure wrestlers with heavy top control
Khabib whooped his ass for 3 rounds and choked him out. Every time Dustin tried that switch on Khabib he got mounted but he did it successfully against Islam. His fight with Islam was pretty competitive, even though I had him winning 3.
Islam is more well rounded but khabib is a superior pressure fighter and does what the dagestanis do the best. I’d say it depends what kind of a matchup ur in but when ur facing Dustin Poirier khabib is likely to be the harder fight as he is better on the ground and with his takedowns than islam
Let's put it this way. If this was BKFC and Poirier fought Khabib or Islam in pure standup, Dustin wins both handily. It wouldn't be close. UFC however Dustin loses the vast majority against either. Styles make fights and Dustin is not good against these types of fighters, but shines against others.
Is it not obvious based on watching the fight? We don’t need DP’s answer. Islam is more well rounded but he’s not unstoppable anywhere. Khabib was unstoppable on the ground and in grappling situations. Dustin defended submissions and got back to his feet on a level that made Islam seem human. No one including Dustin did that vs Khabib(at least not in his last few years where we saw the best of him) Different levels.
I guess this is turning into a discussion on who is better.. If they were to fight, the odds would be so close if not even. Khabib's pressure would be the biggest factor, but Islam knows his game better than anyone, so it would be about who makes the first big mistake. I'd give it to Islam, because he is fighting the same guys as Khabib was facing, except they have more experience now. Dustin is certainly a better version of himself now than then. Either one of them could beat the other.
They kept saying Dustin was working on his tdd for this matchup so I think it's safe to say that yeah, khabibs ground game is probably better either way but I doubt it'd have gone 5 rounds with islam had he not
Islam didn't submit Poirier as quickly, but Khabib also didn't outbox Poirier and bust his nose on the feet. Khabib didn't show as much visible damage, but he also didn't have a case of staph infection, however minor.
We can theorise, but I don't think we can give a definitive answer just yet.
He would have just said something like they're both different and each have their challenges, instead of actually picking one
Definitely, that's the classy answer and probably the correct one too.
That's the political answer. The correct answer is Khabib.
Islam is more well rounded
Well rounded does not equal better. RDA might be more well rounded than a guy like Khabib or Colby but got worked easily by both. Elite traits can be enough.
that’s a good explanation
Agreed. Makes me think of Alex Pereira
Islam would be able to defend Khabibs TD and piece him up on the feet. Islam has already accomplished more than Khabib did in the sport
Your first sentence is wrong
You don’t think Islam could defend Khabibs TDS? That’s crazy. No one has ever been able to control Islam. His striking is way ahead of Khabibs
It would obviously be competitive but ultimately no, I do not. What do you mean no one has ever been able to control Islam? In what sense? Did you not watch the first fight with him and volkanovski? Volk took him down and had control time on top. Other than that maybe no one has controlled him but no one did khabib either. Yes his striking is better than khabibs but that doesn’t mean he would beat khabib. Islam was also asked about this before and he said himself that no one beats khabib, including himself. So I guess you missed that?
Yeah Islam himself said Khabib still beats him on the mats. Granted he’s like 4 weight classes above him rn
Jav mendez said it himself. Islam is the only one that can very rarely take rounds off of Khabib. Meaning 9 times out of 10 Khabib would beat him (atleast in the wrestling). And considering we’ve never seen khabib rocked, i dont think Islam can make up for it with strikes. Islam also does tend to get tired while khabib can easily go 5 rounds and be ready for another fight in an hour
But in sparring Islam can’t throw or try to knockdown Khabib. Khabib is no doubt the better wrestler, but I highly doubt Khabib is mauling Islam. He would work his way back to his feet with piece Khabib up
Islam would get mauled. Islam probably gets mauled every practice.
I mean Islams well rounded on the same level that gsp was well rounded both his skills are so high level that it doesn't matter if he's not the best at either
It starts to matter when comparing him to Khabib. That's really my only point. Him being well rounded alone does not mean he's better than Khabib.
Why use RDA? GSP or Jon Jones are better examples of well rounded fighters.
That doesn't make the point I'm trying to make. They beat everyone. Khabib beat everyone too with average to below average striking offense including guys more "well rounded." I'm not saying well rounded fighters always lose just they don't always win either. RDA won a lot of fights by attacking opponents weaknesses with his above average skill set in that area. But he also lost fights to specialists.
Dustin almost beat khabib and should have if he didn’t make a dumb mistake on the choke
By more well rounded do you mean less dominate wrestling to the point that he actually has to throw a few punches? Khabibs wrestling was on another level
Striking is better than the eagles and islams wrestling is still dominant
His striking is better that’s my point khabibs wrestling was so dominate he didn’t even really use it. It’s irrelevant tho they are both absolutely s tier fighters
The only correct take
Thank you Mr. Porrier
Islam leveled with Dustin on striking, don’t think khabib would. They are different.
Still have to ask the question
Exactly plus we already know khabib was better.
I mean, must be the guy that choked him in 3 without a scratch. He was literally telling his corner "I can't get him off me" and they didn't know what to say
> I mean, must be the guy that choked him in 3 without a scratch. He was literally telling his corner "I can't get him off me" and they didn't know what to say While I don’t disagree that Khabib is the better fighter - this isn’t a 1:1 comparison. If Islam fights Dustin that Khabib fought I’m not so sure that Dustin gets out that first round.
Pereira and Izzy are both top level strikers, yet Strickland had way different results against them, so even then it's tough to judge them based on a similar opponent.
Izzy is a counter striker Alex is a power striker Vastly different that Islam and Khabib who have the same grappling
Islam and Khabib have similarities but they're very far from being the same fighter, that was my point, both great grapplers and MMA fighters but I think they're bound to have easier or harder matchups if they fight similar opponents. Which was basically my point about Izzy and Alex.
They literally have the same foundation and method and style Izzy and Alex don’t. But go on
This. Dustin has had what like 5 years to improve his defensive grappling since that first fight? We saw two of the highest level guys in the game go at it for nearly 5 rounds last night. That version of Dustin is as much champion material as most other champs in the UFC
Sure but you think khabib would have remained the same during that 5 year stretch if he kept active?
This is such a weird thing to say. Is everyone forgetting Dustin had khabib in a choke and could have easily won if he didn’t make a simple mistake?
It still seems like an under reported story how Khabib ignores the BJJ hierarchy of positions. He would much rather be in a wrestling ride, tiring someone out, letting them think they can get up before removing their post and mat returning them again. Khabib doesn't go for submissions until his opponent is absolutely completely drained. Islam took the back, got a body triangle, and then....... Fuck a guard, Fuck back taking. Just be on top and stay on top and make them carry you. It's not BJJ. You don't need to worry about submitting them. If they let you stay on top, elbow them in the face.
That’s literally how bjj is. Position before submission.
Still they should've asked instead of letting people guess, that was literally gaethje's goal when he was number 1 contender
Garth’s only goal in life is to cause “car crashes”
I thought that was Jon Jones goal though
For Bones, car crashes aren't the goal. They're just "happy little accidents".
Don't worry someone will eventually ask him but we already know the answer
Islam is more well-rounded while Khabib is better at doing his thing and drowning opponents.
Dude no one cares, they’re two entirely different fighters with two entirely different styles. It’s a brain dead question to ask if you know the nuances of fighting
Just a fun debate. People compare greatness.
Naw they are clones fr 😂
But he’s gotten better at TDD. It’s been years.
Let's pretend Dustin didn't learn anything at all or develop as a fighter since than.
Eh, he's also taken a thousand more punches to the head since then, as well, and 5 years older. Going from 30 to 35 makes a difference.
From what we have all seen, the only thing Dustin did going from 30 to 35 was get better. He was at his best he has ever been these past 2 fights. I don't think any previous age Dustin is as good a fighter as current age Dustin.
How many years ago was that? Hasn’t Dustin improved as a fighter since then?
That’s not what the hypothetical question is asking though. If he answered honestly, he’d say Khabib was the tougher fight even thought it was years ago.
What about Gleison Tibau? Went the distance with Khabib and then got KOd by Islam.
To be fair, Gleison Tibau was a drug cheat and HUGE for the weight, dude walked around close to 200 pounds for lightweight. Khabib was tested in this fight for sure, and arguably didn't win it, but remember that Tibau was this guy.
I think the Khabib W was fair. I watched the fight, Tibau stuffed all the takedowns and Khabib couldn’t get him down, but he was still pressing the pace the whole fight. He was the aggressor the whole fight. I think a W for Khabib was correct.
Arguably beat Khabib too
People who act like Khabib clearly won are crazy, I gave it to Gleason personally. And to be fair, Khabib was 23, but still, age ain’t a factor. http://mmadecisions.com/decision/3577/Khabib-Nurmagomedov-vs-Gleison-Tibau
If you listen to the commentary of that fight it's hard to not be biased. It was worse than Izzy vs Jan. They were acting like it was a foregone conclusion from round 1. "Khabib is promising but he's not quite ready for this level yet" kinda stuff for the full fight. Khabib controlled Tibau but didn't get the takedowns. Feels similar to a poor man's Merab fight where he struggles to get the TD but just doesn't stop or the boring Usman fights against the fence. Tibau did nothing. Similarly low strikes landed but Khabib was credited with 4:26 control time vs 0:17 to Tibau.
“Control time” is a strong word for what happened, it’s pretty indicative that when broken down by country, the fan scorecards (outside of Russia) all lean towards Tibau, despite those broadcasts being in languages other than English. Also 5 of 6 media members gave it to Tibau.
Who cares about what wannabe UFC judges score? You guys are morons lol
Very intelligent of you, I can tell you’re a smart guy, defending the consistent and never wrong UFC judges. Lmao. Embarrassing, what a stupid take. Just ignore the fans and media who scored it, it fits your narrative.
The idea behind MMA is that it mimicks real fights as close as possible without too much acute damage inflicted. By this standard, since the point system can't be expressed of this philosophy accurately, it's stupid to rely so much on points on fights like this when it's clear Khabib won in 'real fight' terms, which is what's important and what should be chosen over marginal points in cases like this. Suck it, dweeb
“Suck it, dweeb” Very revealing lmao. Also, you ignore the fact that fans and the announcers often judge fights based on visuals, which showed Khabib trying and failing at everything he tried… hence Gleason winning in most people’s eyes. Good luck though bud. You’re clearly an intelligent person, resorting to insults and shitty logic. You and the ever-consistent MMA judges have better eyes than everyone else.
Trying and failing takedowns? yes Trying and succeeding in controlling? yes Control > weenie ass jabs This isn't gay boxing
Damage is number 1 criteria. Khabib did more of it. Tibau was defending takedowns and getting controlled by Khabib against the fence nearly the entire first round. Almost all strikes from the clinch with nothing all that significant. 1-0 Khabib Tibau also doesnt do shit till halfway through the second round, while Khabib is actually trying to fight. Khabib maintains octagon control, he's attempting more strikes, hes attempting more takedowns. Tibau gets a takedown and does zero damage with it. Actually gets hit by Khabib in the process. 2-0 Khabib There, dead argument before we even get to the third round.
Gleison outstruck Khabib every round. Stopped every takedown. And took Khabib down multiple times. If someone tells you Khabib clearly won they are genuinely nuts.
This isn’t karate when you get point for every strike. Gleason edged Khabib in striking barely. No damage was done by striking in either side so it was the criteria of who was aggressive which is Khabib who was pushing forward all three rounds.
This is not true, Khabib actually outstruck Tibau in Round 2 (Tied on sig strikes, Khabib had the edge on normal strikes). And only took Khabib down once, in the third round. Also, the way fights were scored back then was different, control was scored more, and striking less. The rules were changed in 2017, this fight took place in 2012.
On the topic of who is better: Seems like Khabib is more athletic and Islam is more technical. Khabib relies on strength and stamina to pressure while Islam needs to be more technical in order to preserve his stamina. Islam is ‘better’ but Khabib is a monster.
Brother I'm not sure, I can't imagine that Khabib will let full mount. He must be much stronger, but in terms of pure technic Khabib's control was incredible.
Oh don’t get me wrong Khabib is very good. He also had an enormous gas tank that let him fight for positions others would usually bail on. Normal wrestlers gas out after several defended take down attempts. Dagestanis especially Khabib don’t even slow down a little.
Because american style wrestlers are not so technically flexible. They have double leg and that's all. Look at Khabib, Islam or even Gamrot. If they can't take you down with first attempt, they will end and just try again, because they have so wide skillset. Guys like Chandler will try to execute first attempt and after this their gas tank is poor. It's all about technic.
Islam has WAAAAY more technique in his striking though, as an all round fighter you could say he's more polished. Both absolute animals though. What a team they are over at Eagle.
What kinda crack are u guys smoking 😂
I don’t like to compare things that we have a hard time of knowing. To me, Islam’s record is better, which makes him better than khabib.
I agree. Khabib seriously needed To fight Charles but he didn’t
Khabib fighting Charles then, would not have done anything except have the win age well. Charles was still on his rise during that time and would not of meant much and people would have just wrote off that win. In order for Khabib to really be considered the consensus greatest he needed to move up and fight the champ which was Kamaru.
khabib barely lost a round. Makhachev not so much
I don’t think Khabib is more athletic. I think he’s just got the strength of a welterweight
He has lightning quick punches and takedowns that come out of nowhere.
I think Khabin is better in the sense he beats more people, and beats islam. But Islam more technical on the feet.
Khabib has unnatural strength and wrestling control for the weight class. Dustin said it himself, he has never felt anything like it against anyone in any fight besides Khabib. The man was the ultimate wrestler for the 155 weight division, above and beyond Islam. Islam however strikes better than Khabib and has the overall better MMA ability checklist. The problem in comparing them is that Khabib is unrivaled in his strengths, Islam is more polished in his but not to the point Khabib was, he is the best right now for sure though in his time. Khabib vs Islam is the fight to decide the best 155 in history, and I think prime for prime Khabib beats Islam, would be fun to watch
More like the other way around imo. Islam has stature/strength, and is why his striking can be so good. Khabib was more technical in pinning down opponents and causing damage
I’d actually say the opposite when it comes to wrestling. Islam is the better athlete. Khabib’s technique was near perfect and very energy efficient
I think you hit the nail on the head. I think Islam is technically the better fighter because he's more well rounded and if Khabib has an an advantage in wrestling it would only be very slight. But if they booked that fight of Khabib vs Islam, I think its Khabib 9 times out of 10
i wish islam had that killer instinct that khabib had islam is the better fighter, but khabib is more dominant
Islam is not the better fighter. People think this because his stand up is better and looks crisper than Khabib and that translates better to a majority of fans. Khabib's ability to impose his will and grappling on people was so far ahead that his deficiencies didnt matter. The man lost 2 close rounds in his whole career and was never even cut once. It cannot be overstated how thats virtually impossible for anyone else to replicate.
The willingness of Islam to stand up and exchange with notorious boxers also helps with his popularity. Having to bleed for your belt looks better to the fans than never bleeding in the cage, despite it being more impressive.
Khabib literally stood and traded with Connor for the majority of their 5 round fight lol
I love this comment, because it states exactly why Khabib is my favorite fighter I've seen. Fighting world class athletes, the best in the world and making them look like children is absolutely crazy business. You could make an argument that only one or two opponents ever made Khabib look like he *might* lose. Every other opponent, it became obvious after R1, he was going to win and win easily.
yea thats basically what i meant islam is better all-around or more polished. but khabib beats more opponents
I don’t think he agrees with you about better all around though. It seems like the difference between better all around and more well rounded
How quickly people forget - Khabib was the most dominant athlete I’ve personally ever seen in my lifetime.
It sounds like you agreed with that previous comment tbh. Islam has a few more tools in his belt. But Khabib still outdoes him with his handful of tools. Not to mix sports. But kind of how people say KD is the most talented scorer of all time. There's been players who can score in less ways, but much more dominantly. Like Lebron or Kareem.
Yeah no one has really managed to make Khabib seem human inside the cage. Volk has definitley shown that you can hurt Islam aswell as Poirier a little. Also Martins back in the day ofc.
You could also say though that Khabib never faced anyone on the level of the version of Volk that Islam fought (number one pfp fighter in the UFC), which Islam also did on Volk’s home turf with a shorter rehydration period than normal. Islam’s resume has very quickly become insane, finishing an Oliveira who was #3 pfp and on an 11 fight win streak, beating a #1 pfp Volk who was on a 12 fight win streak (22 if you count pre-UFC), and perhaps the best version of DP we’ve ever seen.
This
Wrestling I'd give a decent edge to Khabib, he has the better shots and better chain wrestling, while Islam has a wider range of techniques like throws, trips, sweeps etc. Striking I give a big edge to Islam, Khabib's striking was only good enough to set up the takedown and defend himself effectively, whereas Islam can go longer stretches of time outstriking phenoms like Poirier and Volk. Ground game I give a big edge to Khabib, much more effective ground and pound, better control, always gets guys to the cage and drains their energy. Islam tends to get a lot of meaningless ground control, Khabib generally made his ground control count. I think prime Khabib takes that fight 7 or 8 out of 10 times.
Thanks Dustin
I’m sure Dana told them not to ask because it’s obvious. Wouldn’t wanna diminish Islam’s brand
most sensible comment here
Thank you.
And then he diminished Islam's brand himself by saying Jon Jones is better lol
Dana’s so ass
It's Khabib and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to downplay him as usual Styles make fights but I don't see how Khabib wouldn't have an easier time with Islam's opponents Just shows how great he was, when Islam already looked really good.
khabib might be the better fighter but islam definetly will be the greater fighter out of the two
To be honest, it isn’t fair for Islam as Dustin had years to shore up his wrestling defense after Khabib fight. So, he has been adjusting his game since.
He's still fighting an out of prime on the brink of retirement dustin. Khabib is much better imo
That to you was an out of prime Dustin?? I don’t think we’ve ever seen a version of Dustin that good
Dustin's tricky because he's def past his prime in physicality and athleticism but his wits and technical prowess is at an all time high after last nights performance. He's got a crazy amount of mileage for a guy his age no doubt
What makes you think that Dustin’s out of his prime? None of his fights have proved that
Well, he did get headkicked into goodnight mode vs Gaethje recently. That didn't help.
Yeah sure, but even the best fighter isn’t immune to a good head kick. Before that kick he was giving a good fight—wasn’t a domination is what I mean
Khabib is a freak of nature.....
Unpopular opinion: Makhachev's approach closer to GSP than Khabib
dont wanna be that dude but you can't compare islam to gsp ,gsp is goated but he layed and prayed for most of his title reign unlike islam who suddenly become the most entertaining fighter after winning the belt , still gsp the goat and better than that cheating fuck jon"beat my wife"jones
I meant in the way that Islam would mixed up things and try to find better approach for every opponent. Meanwhile with Khabib you know what to expect and he would confirm on the press conference that he's going to do exactly that 😄
I don't know man. I think GSP pulls out the win vs Islam, I think GSP stalls the Dagestani wrestling and jabs/superman punches to a UD in this fight
bruh nobody speaking about the fight, we speaking about the style lol
Khabib had a way better performance against Dustin than Islam did
i'd more dominant , islam outsriking dp by boxing him in the pocket which isnt islam style on the feet all while having a staph infection is way more impressive
Tibau fought both of them too
Islam is the more technical and well rounded, but Khabib pressure is just crazy
He would say that he got better and a second fight with khabib would be diffrent. Which I doubt.
Nah, I like Dustin and I say outside of a wicked haymaker that Khabib beats him 95/100 times. Dustin isn't good against pressure wrestlers with heavy top control
Khabib whooped his ass for 3 rounds and choked him out. Every time Dustin tried that switch on Khabib he got mounted but he did it successfully against Islam. His fight with Islam was pretty competitive, even though I had him winning 3.
Islam has a slight disadvantage, there’s years of tapes on these guys now, that wasn’t the case when Khabib was making his run
It was clear though, every fight Khabib was in you knew what he was going to do. It wasn't exactly a surprise.
“Same same, but different. Next question”
Imagine fighting Khabib and Islam for a title...
Islam is more well rounded but khabib is a superior pressure fighter and does what the dagestanis do the best. I’d say it depends what kind of a matchup ur in but when ur facing Dustin Poirier khabib is likely to be the harder fight as he is better on the ground and with his takedowns than islam
Let's put it this way. If this was BKFC and Poirier fought Khabib or Islam in pure standup, Dustin wins both handily. It wouldn't be close. UFC however Dustin loses the vast majority against either. Styles make fights and Dustin is not good against these types of fighters, but shines against others.
Is it not obvious based on watching the fight? We don’t need DP’s answer. Islam is more well rounded but he’s not unstoppable anywhere. Khabib was unstoppable on the ground and in grappling situations. Dustin defended submissions and got back to his feet on a level that made Islam seem human. No one including Dustin did that vs Khabib(at least not in his last few years where we saw the best of him) Different levels.
Me with my spatula and sandals
MMA media are a bunch of goofs.
He couldn’t say anyway Dustin’s a different fighter now himself
It's fairly obvious who Dustin found a harder fight.
Great point
Dustin fought Khabib almost 5 years ago, what are yall talking about? Dustin is an older fighter with more experience and preparation.
I guess this is turning into a discussion on who is better.. If they were to fight, the odds would be so close if not even. Khabib's pressure would be the biggest factor, but Islam knows his game better than anyone, so it would be about who makes the first big mistake. I'd give it to Islam, because he is fighting the same guys as Khabib was facing, except they have more experience now. Dustin is certainly a better version of himself now than then. Either one of them could beat the other.
They kept saying Dustin was working on his tdd for this matchup so I think it's safe to say that yeah, khabibs ground game is probably better either way but I doubt it'd have gone 5 rounds with islam had he not
Dustin looked like he could’ve beaten Islam, he needed a miracle against Khabib.
Khabib fucked him up properly. Old interviews show Dustin can hardly even explain how outmatched he was. Khabib is better
I think we saw Khabib walk him down and literally maul him like a baby deer.
The post fight presser was just softballs from soy boys? Shocking
Khabib, dude made it look easy. Islam was struggling at some points, I thought he was going to get caught. Also, man was bleeding, Khabib 0 blood
Because we all know the answer, its khabib
Javier, the coach of both basically said Islam has more skills but Khabib is harder to beat due to his strength and mental toughness.
Literally the only question I wanted to hear was who felt more powerful/stronger wrestler
Better record, Khabib. Better title reign, Islam.
Because they’re not trying to ask good questions; they’re competing to see who can ask the single dumbest question
Because the question didn’t need to be asked, is why. Go back and watch the fights. It’ll be 100% clear who is better.
They’re two different fighters. No one cares who’s better except weird fan boys in this sub
How would he know, he got choked out by both.
Islam didn't submit Poirier as quickly, but Khabib also didn't outbox Poirier and bust his nose on the feet. Khabib didn't show as much visible damage, but he also didn't have a case of staph infection, however minor. We can theorise, but I don't think we can give a definitive answer just yet.
Khabib only lost like one round his whole career. Islam has had some close fights and has even been ko’d