Khabib Nurmagomedov solidified himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport following his win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. And he’s certainly convinced a former two-weight champion in Randy Couture.
In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Couture mentioned “The Eagle” as one of the fighters he enjoys watching today.
“Gosh, there’s so many amazing guys out there,” Couture said. “I’m a big fan of Michael Chandler. I’ve had a lot of fun watching Lance Palmer compete. Ray Cooper III’s been on the tear, just brings a very specific ferocity. Our returning champ, Magomed Magomedkerimov has been really interesting.
“All these Dagestani fighters like Khabib and so many others that come from that part of the world really have amazing skillsets that they bring to the cage. They’re really fun to watch and see their approach.”
The debate now is whether Nurmagomedov should be ranked #1 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound list. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones currently occupies that throne and many feel given his recent performances against Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, Nurmagomedov should overtake him.
However, while Couture enjoys watching Nurmagomedov and rates him highly, he only ranked him as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the sport.
“I think pound-for-pound arguably one of the best fighters in the sport right now for sure,” Couture explained. “He’s got everything firing. Submission game’s great, he’s developing a very strong striking game, he brings a very tenacious attitude.
“He’s literally like a pitbull on a chew toy, he’s not letting that go. I like watching him fight. There’s some similarities in the way he likes to fight and the way I like to fight so it’s fun for me too.”
When asked to clarify who the other pound-for-pound best fighters were, Couture mentioned the previous names before talking about how everyone has a different background. No mention of Jones either.
You can see the full interview below: