"He has not done enough" - Henry Cejudo explains not putting Khabib Nurmagomedov above himself on the UFC GOAT list

Henry Cejudo recently took some time to rank all-time MMA greats, and he drew a firm line between himself and Khabib Nurmagomedov. On a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, the former two-division UFC champion explained why he doesn’t see Nurmagomedov ahead of him on the all-time list.

Cejudo compared his resume with Nurmagomedov and Alex Pereira, pointing out that both he and Pereira became double champions, something 'The Eagle' never tried. Cejudo argued that Nurmagomedov’s dominance at lightweight was remarkable, but his decision to retire without testing himself in another division left some questions unanswered.

He also said that Nurmagomedov’s 29-0 record and title defenses were historic, yet limited to a single weight class. He said:

“I agree with you, [Nurmagomedov] hasn’t done enough. 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."

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He added:

“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.”

Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (41:00):

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When Henry Cejudo weighed in on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s place among UFC greats

Henry Cejudo discussed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy in the past and placed the former lightweight champion inside the top ten, but not above himself. Cejudo said Nurmagomedov’s 12-fight UFC run was impressive but lacked the extra milestone of a second belt.

Nurmagomedov went 29-0 overall and defended the lightweight title three times before retiring in 2020 after wins over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Cejudo pointed out that while Nurmagomedov was dominant, a move to another division could have cemented him higher on the all-time list.

Speaking in an episode of Triple C and Schmo Show, he said:

"I believe he's [Nurmagomedov is] top 10 because he only had 12 fights in the UFC like me but if he was to win a second belt and then win another title then he would even be above me because that means he would be undefeated."

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar