Khabib Nurmagomedov, retired UFC lightweight champion and one of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters in history, has made his own list of top 15 MMA fighters of all time!
And yes, among them is Royce Gracie… And no, he didn’t include Conor McGregor:
My mma GOAT top 15
1) Fedor/Jones
2) GSP
3) AndersonSilva
4) DemetriousJohnson
5) DanielCormier
6) HenryCehudo
7) JoseAldo
8) KamaruUsman
9) Adesanya
10) BJPENN
11) RoyceGraice
12) Couture/Velasquez
13) Hendo/Shogun
14) CroCop/Miocic
15) Dominic Cruz/Frankie Edgar— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) April 12, 2023
Royce Gracie is a member of the respected Gracie family and is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of MMA.
Royce gained wide recognition for his successes in the early days of the UFC, when he won the tournament of UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4. He also fought in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1’s MMA events and at Bellator.
McGregor, on the other hand, has been the first UFC fighter in history to hold two championship belts at the same time – the featherweight and lightweight ones.
Him and Khabib had a long-lasting feud, which culminated at UFC 229. Khabib submitted McGregor and then a scuffle ensued, involving both fighters and their team members.
So, that might be the reason why Khabib didn’t include McGregor on his top 15 list…
Though it’s hard to dispute that the Irishman is one of the people who made MMA as popular as it is today.
Master The Art Of “Smeshing” With The Sambo-Hybrid Fighting System Of Khabib Nurmagomedov, The Iconic Undefeated UFC Champion Who Shows How He Dominated The Field In MMA With Revolutionary Ground Skills.
- Learn standing techniques, control and submissions on the ground, and even some of Khabib’s revolutionary cage work on this 3-part series.
- See how Khabib closes distance with strikes to set up takedowns, his tips on shooting, and using single legs, body locks, and more.
