Alexander Volkanovski has shared his opinion on the debate around the greatest fighters in UFC history, focusing on Khabib Nurmagomedov and how his career is viewed. While some people focus on the number of fights and achievements, Volkanovski believes the way a fighter performs is just as important.
Khabib Nurmagomedov finished his career undefeated with a record of 29 wins. His title run included victories over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Even with fewer fights compared to other long time champions, his dominance inside the cage continues to stand out.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski explained how he looks at Khabib’s legacy.
“Khabib could have easily done it,” Volkanovski said.
“You could just do it because of the fact that he was undefeated, but I don’t care about undefeated. I care about who you fought. The way he won was so dominant. Even though he doesn’t have as good a resume as some of the others.”
🐐👀 Alexander Volkanovski thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov should be in GOAT discussions:
“Khabib could’ve easily done it. You could just include Khabib because the fact he was undefeated, but I don’t care about undefeated, I care about who you fought. The way he won was really… pic.twitter.com/8AYXKQMs7u
— Full Mount MMA (@MMAFullMount) March 18, 2026
Resume vs Dominance Debate
Volkanovski also compared Khabib’s career to other fighters, including Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. He pointed out that while some fighters may have more fights or achievements, Khabib’s control and performance in his wins were different.
“Even Charles (Oliveira) has got as many wins as him, but he’s got other losses. Khabib was clearly dominant in them fights, didn’t take much damage, and looked much better than his opponents. Even though I believe in resume heavily, he’s still right up there because of how he did it. I think Islam’s got him resume wise.”
His view shows that both resume and performance play a role in the GOAT discussion. While he values strong records and achievements, he believes Khabib’s dominance keeps him among the best ever.
Volkanovski himself is part of these conversations after building an impressive career at featherweight. He has become a two time champion and earned wins over top fighters like Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez, and Diego Lopes.
The debate around the greatest fighters continues as new names rise and records grow. With fighters like Islam Makhachev still active, comparisons will keep evolving, while Khabib’s legacy remains tied to how dominant he looked inside the cage.
