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#4. Many UFC lightweights he could have fought
Khabib Nurmagomedov fought many tough opponents, but there were still a number of intriguing matchups for him. He was inactive for two years between 2014-2016, so he never fought opponents like Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, or 'Cowboy' Cerrone, who were among the top of the division.
At the time, 'The Eagle' was 22-0 and coming off a unanimous decision win against eventual lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. The win improved his record in the promotion to 6-0, so he was clearly ready to compete against the top lightweights.
The promotion also failed to book Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson on numerous occasions.
The two lightweights were linked together throughout their careers as many believed 'El Cucuy' posed the best challenge. The Hall of Famer still has many impressive wins and notable fighters on his resume. But it could have been a much more definitive argument that he was the greatest.
#3. Number of UFC lightweight title defenses
The number of title defenses a UFC champion has is important to their legacy. There have been many dominant champions throughout the promotion's history. The reason title defenses are important is because although getting to the top is tough, it's remaining champion that's much more difficult.
The champion is always preparing for the next challenger and once he overcomes that, there is a list of contenders eager for their opportunity. Nurmagomedov became lightweight champion in 2018 after defeating Al Iaquinta for the vacant title.
'The Eagle' made three successful title defenses before retiring in 2020. Despite his undefeated record, it makes it difficult to include him on Mount Rushmore when there are other dominant champions.
To put his reign in perspective, he has the same number of lightweight title defenses as Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, and BJ Penn.
