Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in October 2020. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ufc
Accustomed to being controversial in his opinions, Henry Cejudo maintained the standard when comparing legacy of Khabib Nurmagomedov on Alex PoatánIn the Olympic champion's view, the Russian is superior to the Brazilian because he faced greater challenges before having the opportunity to reign in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg) and retire undefeated in the sport.
“I think the difference between Khabib and Pereira is that Khabib really went through the fire before getting to the title. I think that was the main point. Let's go back and look at Poatan's career. Again, look, in terms of merit, of belts, fine. But when you analyze more deeply how each one got there, it's a little different. Khabib kind of went through the whole 70 kg line before getting the title.” Conor McGregor"He then defended the belt a few times and retired with 29 wins and no losses," Cejudo said on the Pound4Pound Podcast.
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Alex Poatán He is the UFC light heavyweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Following his speech, 'Triple-C' suggested that Israel adesanya He noted that this has facilitated the Brazilian's path and highlighted the absence of successful title defenses in his former UFC weight class.
“Speaking of Pereira, in terms of style, you can't help but talk about him. (Israel) Adesanya helped him. Izzy helped Pereira get there, and he's a knockout specialist. I'm not taking away from his merit. He won the belt at 84kg and never defended it. Then he moved up to light heavyweight, won the belt, and beat tough guys, but it was somewhat similar to the path he took to the title fight at 84kg.”
Finally, Cejudo explained the fact that leads him to give more credibility to fighters who have already been champions, like his friend from the panel, Kamaru Usman.
Alex Poatán knocked out Israel adesanya No. UFC 281. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
They gave him the Sean Strickland"He's another very good striker, but he practically never used his full MMA game. I don't think Strickland would attempt a takedown. So, if the fight stays standing, that already tells you something, you know? At 84 kg. That's why I'm more impressed with guys like you (Usman), who went through the whole line, beat everyone, and still defended the belt several times," he concluded.
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