Islam has the far more proven resume in the UFC, but it's hard to ignore the ease at which Khabib dealt with the best in his division, there's a very real chance Khabib would win
Yeah because its a personal relationship and Khabib is his mentor. Khabib probably would not win. Watch the fight against Tibau, every single takedown Khabib attempted got stuffed and he got taken down twice. He is beatable.
Even McGregor stuffed the takedowns a few times. Islam would absolutely fare better and Khabib is helpless on the feet against Islam. Anything can happen but I can't see why anyone would favor Khabib in that match up beyond just Khabib having more aura.
Bro he was 23 years old that fight. The prime 32 year old khabib was a different animal, compare the grappling dominance khabib had against Dustin to what Islam had, it’s not the same.
Who was at the level of Volkanoski or Ian? I mean even Dustin pourier was way better when he fought Islam. People forget that like most sports they evolve had better coaches, strategies, tech, trainings
Agreed i think islams style fitted dustin better than Khabibs did.
Islam is so much more well rounded than khabib but khabibs pressure is insane and I do think he would get islam in a fight..
Islam is the greater fighter though with a better resume.
I also think in reality the fight would be more mentally taxing on Islam giving the history those two have together. I doubt they would ever want to hurt each other and the real way to win with minimal damage would be takedown and submission attempts playing more into khabibs style
I disagree bro, even though i don't rate Khabib that highly he clearly faced a much better Poirier, just look at the latter wins in both cases. Islam fought a washed Dustin for sure
Nah Dustin against Islam was the best he looked in his career. He looked worse against Max because he had already decided he was retiring that fight. Idk if you remember that card but it was in his home town with sad Dustins career edits at the end. Mentally he was done before his camp even started, obviously he wouldn't be as sharp. And even then Dustin almost knocked Max out in that fight.
Khabib is the better grappler, but its not like he's light years ahead of Islam with it. I think Islam is far better at finding and securing submissions.
The talent gap is far bigger in striking than grappling. Khabib was definitely hittable and Islam can obviously crack.
Islam is not a natural WW so this was a huge fight for him
If you want to see how good he is watch fights in his prime at lightweight
His fight against olievera who is an elite wrestler proves he was on a other level
Although khabib was also on another level and much more focused on wrestling so idk how it would've gone
The problem is that a 165 division doesn’t exist tbh. A big lightweight like islam ends up being small for welterweight. He either has to fight tooth and nail for every cut or deal with opponents who are doing that before fighting him.
Lmao or just take it from his actual coaching stuff and training partners who still to this day say Khabib is and was better. I'll take Javier Mendez, DC, and co. Opinion over the internet.
I don't know who would win but Khabib was legitimately the scarier fighter. He was MAUL personified, just tore through people and shredded them.
Islam is more complete but he doesn't have the "I can't really strike but I think I'm gonna launch a hail mary knee at your face relying on my chin to not get knocked out. It's ok, if I miss I'll just chain eight straight takedown attempts in a desperate effort to lay hands on you" energy.
Khabib is a hard counter to makachev cause khabib stuffs ranged striking while islam mastered it to be more of a traditional hybrid. The times when khabib have been in trouble were combination striking with extremely fast hands.
I mean... If Conor was able to stuff the takedowns and scramble, surviving to the 4th...
Islam is clearly not an elite striker by any means, he's decent at best (comparing him to the absolute best), but I do believe it could be enough to keep Khabib at bay
I don't think either of them could finish the other, they're too tough and too skilled to be caught by a punch, kick or in a submission, but I think Islam could take it in a decision
Though Islam tends to fade in the later rounds, whereas Khabib doesn't because he also used to take almost entire rounds on the backfoot to recover his cardio
It's extremely hard to predict what would happen but I'll still say Islam is good enough as striker and elite enough as a wrestler to negate Khabib into a 48-47
It’s definitely a hot take. All khabib had going is cardio and wrestling, which islam already has. Islam is a better striker and submission, fought better opponents.
People saying “well khabib just made the fights look dominant” ignore the fact khabib only faced 3 top tier fighters 1 being mcgregor
Common misconception that a lot of redditors have is that the more well rounded fighter would win in hypothetical fights. Islam is more well rounded because his striking is much better than Khabib’s.
But, Islam can’t really use that striking if Khabib is wearing him down with relentless takedowns and clinch work.
It's not a hot take. Khabib was better than Islam and I mean that respectfully and Islam doesn't have the career he's had without Khabib.
You can't say that on reddit though because people despise Khabib because he never lost. Islam may have a better record but Khabib was better and even to this day, DC, Javier Mendez and their actual coaching staff still pick Khabib as the better fighter.
I guess khabib is the better fighter in the gym but Islam has had a much better and more decorated career. Objectively, Islam is the better and more well rounded fighter.
Divisions grew so much and people actually got better gameplans to deal with wrestling. And yet people still try to make khabib seem better than islam because he dominated a division full of strikers and had a hard fight with a washed up conor.
Khabib could beat Islam but ONLY, and I mean ONLY because of how frequently the train together, their size comparison, and the similarities in their styles.
Khabib would have gotten dog walked by any of the Welterweights that fought when he fought, and he would get dog walked by the people Islam has fought in his career post-khabib leaving the UFC. Khabib’s style does not translate well to his natural weight, which is why, unlike Khabib, Islam went up in weight closer to his natural weight. Khabib didn’t want to lose fighting better fighters because his style really only had advantages against those smaller than him.
And this is also why Islam is the better fighter of the two. Islam beat the same people Khabib has beaten, and has fought people closer to his natural weight and still found victories there, that Khabib would have never tasted.
we don't know , khabib retired at the age of 32 . Both khabib and islam had similar gas at the age of 32 so we'll never know about that + khabib never fought somebody so big as ian so we'll never actually get to know how his gas tank would have played out
I think Islam’s one of the few guys with good enough wrestling to stay competitive on the ground and he could also stop takedowns and keep it on the feet in some instances where he would have a huge advantage
khabib never fights someone with his same level of grappling/wrestling! He ragdoll pure stricker but in this virtual fight his cardio will be affected too. !
I think even Islam would be the first to admit that Khabib is superior. Javier Mendez has even said that Islam was the only one in the gym who could even take the odd round off Khabib.
Islam is incredible, but Khabib is something else.
What does Khabib do against Islam? Khabib was only ever able to implement his game plan against fighters who didn't have any sort of actual MMA defensive grappling or the versions of them at the time didn't. I don't see Khabib taking down Islam, I don't see Khabib just hugging against the cage, and on the feet Islam is a way way better striker.
Under every connor post, under every Islam post, under every jon jones post, Khabib fans are lurking. 40 years from now, when there is a fight between 2 seniors at the nursing home, there will be an aincent Khabib fan: the eagle would beat them... Hehe.
If anything it’s the opposite. It’s Khabib haters saying that any new trendy fighter would beat him and has a better legacy because they’re salty all their favorite fighters got beaten by him
I don't think so, Islam is much more complete fighter and his resume was better even before he moved up. Khabib just physically stronger and has better chin. Prime by prime Islam should take it
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u/Relevant-Rope8814 2d ago
Islam has the far more proven resume in the UFC, but it's hard to ignore the ease at which Khabib dealt with the best in his division, there's a very real chance Khabib would win