TLDR
- Justin Gaethje named his MMA Mount Rushmore as Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, GSP, Jon Jones, and Chuck Liddell, excluding Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Gaethje still calls Khabib the toughest opponent he faced despite the omission from his all-time greats list
- Gaethje admits winning the first round against Khabib at UFC 254 took everything out of him and he couldn’t have won after that
- Khabib submitted Gaethje with a triangle choke at 1:34 of the second round in their 2020 fight
- Gaethje plans to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan if he decides to continue fighting
Sources: yardbarker.com | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | timesofindia.indiatimes.com
UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje recently revealed his list of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, and one name was missing. Khabib Nurmagomedov, the fighter Gaethje still calls his toughest opponent, did not make the cut.
Gaethje appeared on the One Night with Steiny podcast and was asked to name his MMA Mount Rushmore. He refused to limit himself to just four fighters and expanded his list to five.
“Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, GSP, Jon Jones, and Chuck Liddell,” Gaethje said. When asked if Khabib should be included, he responded, “No, not mine.”
The omission is surprising given Gaethje’s history with the undefeated Russian fighter. Khabib submitted Gaethje in the second round at UFC 254 on October 24, 2020. The fight took place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, with Khabib defending his lightweight title.
Even though they constantly joke around, Khabib Nurmagomedov has an immense amount of respect for Daniel Cormier.
When things went completely off the rails after the McGregor fight, Dana White knew exactly who to call.
He brought in DC to calm Khabib down. pic.twitter.com/9KkerD2x3j
— The Sports Pulse (@Tsportspulse) August 18, 2026
Gaethje Won First Round But Had Nothing Left
Gaethje has now opened up about what happened in that fight. He won the first round on two of the three judges’ scorecards by attacking Khabib’s lead leg with powerful kicks. But that success came at a heavy cost.
“I beat Khabib in the first round on two of the three scorecards, and it took everything in my body to win that first round,” Gaethje explained. “I wasn’t going to win after that. I think it could have been just his pressure.”
The second round proved Gaethje’s point. Khabib caught one of Gaethje’s leg kicks and immediately closed the distance for a takedown. He locked in a triangle choke at 1:34 of the round.
Gaethje tapped to signal submission, but referee Jason Herzog did not see it right away. The choke continued until Gaethje lost consciousness. The victory moved Khabib’s professional record to 29-0.
Khabib only lost two rounds on judges’ scorecards during his entire career. The first was against Conor McGregor at UFC 229, where McGregor won the third round before being submitted in the fourth. The second was the opening round against Gaethje.
After defeating Gaethje, Khabib shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement. He removed his gloves and placed them inside the Octagon, ending his career undefeated.
Gaethje Plans Title Defense Against Tsarukyan
Gaethje has since rebounded from that loss in a big way. He became the UFC lightweight champion by defeating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026. The 37-year-old forced Topuria’s corner to stop the fight before the final round.
Gaethje plans to sit out for the rest of 2026 to recover from injuries and decide his fighting future. If he chooses to continue, he already knows his first title defense will be against Arman Tsarukyan.
“It’s not that I don’t want to fight Arman; it really isn’t. He’s the next in line,” Gaethje said earlier this week. “If and when I defend this championship, that will be who I fight. I just don’t know right now.”
Gaethje explained he needs time to recover both physically and mentally. “I gave a lot of myself for this fight in January and June. Luckily, I came out on top, but it cost me a lot, so I need to recover,” he said.
The champion plans to enjoy his title for the remainder of the year before making a decision. “I’m going to make a business decision and a life decision whenever the time comes,” he said.
For now, Gaethje acknowledges that the question of whether he could have beaten Khabib in a rematch remains unanswered. His admission about the energy required to deal with Khabib’s pressure in just one round highlights why the Russian fighter retired undefeated at 29-0.
