Henry Cejudo or Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s higher on the GOAT list? Cejudo’s answer should surprise no one.
The former two-division UFC champion dropped an interesting note regarding how his accomplishments stand up to those of “The Eagle,” during a discussion on his Pound 4 Pound podcast that was originally prompted by a listener asking whether Nurmagomedov or Alex Pereira had the better résumé.
One thing Cejudo and Pereira have in common is that they’ve both won UFC titles in two different weight classes, something Cejudo had to point out Nurmagomedov has never done.
“I agree with you, [Nurmagomedov] hasn’t done enough,” Cejudo told co-host Kamaru Usman. “He has not done enough. I’ve told this to Khabib. I don’t want to fight with the dude, but I remember we had a really heated conversation between us because I don’t put Khabib in front of me. I really don’t.
“If Khabib would have went up a couple of weight classes, with what he’s done, then yeah, you would have to [rank him highly], in the fashion that he’s done it. But if he could have done a little bit more, I truly do believe that Khabib would do some amazing things. I think he could, stylistically, win a title at 185 pounds, even being a ‘55er.”
Cejudo was a champion at 125 and 135 pounds, adding those achievements to a decorated amateur wrestling career that culminated in a gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Like Cejudo, Pereira also won championships in another sport—kickboxing—before fully committing to MMA. “Poatan” went on to win titles at 185 pounds, defeating longtime rival Israel Adesanya in the first of a two-fight in the UFC, then later went on to win a vacant 205-pound title and successfully defended it three times in seven months.
Nurmagomedov is remembered for his dominance in the lightweight division, traditionally one of the deepest rosters in all of combat sports. He defended the lightweight title three times before retiring in 2020 with a spotless 29-0 record. That consistency is one edge Nurmagomedov has over Pereira.
“I think the difference between Khabib and Pereira is Khabib really did go through the gauntlet before he got to the title,” Cejudo said. “I think that was the biggest thing.
“Let’s go back and look at Pereira’s career. Again, look, when it comes to merit, championship belts, sure, but when you look deeper into how both of them got there, it’s a little bit different. Khabib kind of went through the line at 155 pounds before catching Conor McGregor. Then he defended his belt a few times and then retired at 29-0.
“Pereira, stylistically, we can’t not talk about. ‘Izzy’ helped him. Izzy helped him to get there and he was a knockout specialist. I’m not taking anything away from him. He won his belt at 185 pounds and he never defended it. He went up to light heavyweight, he won the belt, and he beat it from people, but it was almost like the way that he also got to his title shot at 185 pounds. They gave him Sean Strickland, another great striker, that probably has never had MMA. I don’t think Strickland would go for a takedown. So if it comes down to the feet, then it tells you something, you know what I’m saying? 185 pounds. That’s why I’m more impressed by guys like you [Usman] that have gone through the damn line, everybody, and then defended it X amount of times.”
Cejudo vacillated between anointing Nurmagomedov or Pereira on the GOAT list, acknowledging the greatness of both while maintaining that Nurmagomedov left some things on the table when he walked away from competition.
“You know what?” Cejudo said. “Alex beat more world champs. The more I think about it, yeah, you’ve got to go with the guy [Pereira] that won more titles and defended a little bit more. But I will say this about Khabib: Khabib could have become the first three-division champ in UFC history, in my opinion.”
In a hypothetical scenario where Nurmagomedov and Pereira were to compete at 185 pounds, Cejudo believes Nurmagomedov would come out on top, which is another reason why he wishes fans had the chance to see “The Eagle” fly at a higher weight class.
Still, pushed for an answer, Cejudo leaned towards the retired legend.
“Does Alex Pereira have a better résumé than Khabib Nurmagomedov?” Cejudo said. “No.”
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