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Khabib Nurmagomedov would already be considered the GOAT, if it were based on one particular metric, according to his coach, Javier Mendez. In a candid chat on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Mendez, the longtime trainer of Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, broke down why the Dagestani legend doesn’t always make the GOAT list despite a spotless 29-0 record.
Mendez admitted 'The Eagle' might not have the resume or longevity of Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre, but in terms of dominance, he stands unmatched. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) head coach also drew a firm line between dominance and greatness. According to Mendez:
“Did he [Nurmagomedov] fight enough times to be arguably in that position? No. But did he dominate everybody to be in that position arguably? One million percent yes. Nobody’s been as dominant as he has ever. He’s never been touched. Never been hurt... Jon Jones, as great as he is… if you’re Lance Armstrong and you lost all your Tour de France because you got caught cheating, what does that do for Jon Jones?... But I don’t put him in that category only for that reason. I thought he lost to Dominick Reyes. I thought that was a really close fight. Gustafsson was a close fight."
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He added:
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"What’s been close for Khabib? None. GSP got knocked out. He lost twice. Anderson Silva fought too long and hurt his legacy. That’s something I really commend Khabib and his family for, walking away when everything was right in front of you. He could’ve probably gone on to 40-0. I’m damn sure he would’ve won welterweight and middleweight titles. We never saw anyone grapple like him. Still to this day, I don’t see anybody like him. Not even Royce Gracie.”
Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (1:15:00):
Javier Mendez talks about Khabib Nurmagomedov's fighting roots
Javier Mendez never wanted Khabib Nurmagomedov to stray from his wrestling skills which made him unstoppable. With complete faith from the retired UFC legend's late father, Abdulmanap, Mendez stayed loyal to the plan they built together.
He refused to shift Nurmagomedov’s style toward striking since figures couldn't handle him on the ground. Inside the gym, even world-class fighters couldn’t win rounds against him, with only Islam Makhachev ever coming close. Speaking in the aforementioned episode of the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Mendez said:
“Anybody in the world at that time, nobody could stop him. I didn't want him to test his striking ever because he was better than everybody on the ground. His father trusted me to do the right thing by him. That's why when his father passed away, I created Father's Plan so we never forget the legendary Abdulmanap and the great contribution he did through his students.”
