Khabib left the sport, could have avoided a Renan Barao fate. Losses do not define a fighter*

There's something to be said about beating the game and not letting the game beat you.

I admire Mayweather,GSP, Khabib and Lennox Lewis for going out on their terms. When you are broke and got CTE,the fans respect isnt going to be worth that much,if there is any left,by then.
 
chimpoehurricane said:
That's what makes it so impressive. I cannot stand that crotch sniff style but unlike Snoozeman, Khabib stopped guys. I still prefer stand up fighters and KOs. I recognize still how great Khabib is and was. Noobs already forget.
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Khabib set a new standard for grappling, he set the bar higher that its been set before and now you are seeing the young good grapplers emulate it. No stalling. Passing or punching. Climb the pyramid and either submit or pound them out.

People act like Khabib should have stuck around and defended the belt 5-7 more times.

He was only probably going to fight one more time anyway had his dad not passed away. The plan was to walk away anyways.
 
The bottom line is you can't compare unlike terms.

You can't compare "average degree of dominance" between a guy with 13 UFC fights and maybe 4-5 top wins to someone with double the amount of fights and 10-12 top wins, since maintaining hyper-dominance becomes more difficult with more fights and especially more aging and fighting out of your prime, etc...

You got to pay the toll. If you want to maintain health, "get rich and get out", and all the rest you can do that. But the toll is automatically sacrificing career value against superstars who elected to continue fighting (assuming they still win and add value) post=prime into older ages.

I respect Khabib loads, but Khabib hasn't even clearly separated himself from fighters like Usman and Volk on a career front. There's simply no way to retire early and match guys like GSP, Jones, Anderson, Fedor, etc...in terms of overall career value. Especially when Khabib didn't exactly have the most rigorous schedule when he was an active fighter.
 
Post 2 Decision said:
Age? Barao was only 27 when everything spiraled out of control.

My point is people assuming Khabib would continue to go on undefeated forever if he kept fighting is just silly and unrealistic, and claiming that he is better than fighters who do keep fighting after a huge string of wins or title defenses is nonsense.
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Age wasn't the right word, mileage would be better but I think you understand what I mean. As far as people saying he could go undefeated forever I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone make that argument, he more than likely would have lost at some point if he had continued but I think it's fair to assume he probably had at least a couple more good fights in him. Officially the guy retired undefeated, you can't judge his career based on hypothetical losses you think he would have had.
 
Arm Barbarian said:
Khabib did what he wanted. Went out on top. Wouldn't call him GOAT per se, but he was a monster in the cage. Mauled everyone.
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khabij mauled 15 wiki greys with losing records before entering UFC and then beating 4 top 5’s while missing weight multiple times and having his hardest fight be Coke Conor coming off a boxing match.
 
Fact Checker said:
You can speculate all you want but the facts are that he retired as champ of the toughest division with a superb 29-0 record.
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True, and he finished his last three fights against the top guys.

And if he came back now and got KOd by Chandler that doesn't change what he did then. It's like Fedor getting dropped by a Bader left hand and losing, has nothing to do with his Pride run really.
 
TriangleMonkey said:
Khabib set a new standard for grappling, he set the bar higher that its been set before and now you are seeing the young good grapplers emulate it. No stalling. Passing or punching. Climb the pyramid and either submit or pound them out.

People act like Khabib should have stuck around and defended the belt 5-7 more times.

He was only probably going to fight one more time anyway had his dad not passed away. The plan was to walk away anyways.
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Tbh I was extremely critical of Khabib. I can't stand that crotch sniff style BUT, this fucking guy just did mma and prayed. He was relentless. I initially thought that was cap. I thought it was an attempt to get the Muslim population into his fighting. I was wrong.

The guy who filmed McGregor tossing the dolly through the bus window described his experience with Khabib. He tossed his belt aside and bowed to meca. prayed to God when that time came. He's legitimately that guy. He's so fucking dedicated to mma and his faith in God. I really admire and respect him despite not being a Muslim. Imagine if McGregor or other fighters had his level of dedication?

You can only serve one master. IMHO he put God first. He did mma. He gave his gifts. I think he physically gave everything he had. He has it physically still but spiritually, he knows it gone. He stepped into his father's role as a coach. Bless him.

His plan was 30-0. To be critical, many thought Tibeau won. Khabib broke down after that fight. It was close. Very close.

I think noobs forget how good he is. Snoozeman wouldn't be p4p if Khabib stayed. furthermore, Khabib pummeled people and strangled them. He was relentless. He finished top guys. He doesn't use gear or pop for roads.

I would love to see him fight Olivera and Tony. I still lean towards Khabib. 29-0 is unreal in boxing or kick boxing. INSANE IN UFC and mma. I also wish he fought GSP. I think he would have destroyed GSP.
 
markg171 said:
It's probably because he literally fought again despite those things, and then never formally retired for another 5 months.

It's hilarious how you guys believe the propaganda he spews instead of just watching his actual actions and inferring his real motivations from them.
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He broke down crying n the octagon over it all, you think he faked that? These Dagestanis can barely cut a promo but I'm supposed to believe Khabib was pretending to cry like a baby in front of the world? Come on now.
 
Pierced7681 said:
prime Ferguson woulda taken the belt from Khabib. Tony won’t tap and Khabib would gas out and get pieced up.
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I think Ferguson could've won had they fought the first time it was scheduled, Ferguson was peaking and Khabib had not yet reached his final form. Would still favor Khabib though.
 
Post 2 Decision said:
Barao was basically as undefeated as Khabib was, gift decision over Tibau. And Barao had more wins.

Hilarious that leaving the sport early to dodge losses makes you better than someone who sticks around and fights because they're a real fighter.
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Yea that tibau fight was pretty close. Tibau 29-28.
 
Khabib Khanate said:
He broke down crying n the octagon over it all, you think he faked that? These Dagestanis can barely cut a promo but I'm supposed to believe Khabib was pretending to cry like a baby in front of the world? Come on now.
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Khabib was relieved to have won without his father, as well as have gotten through the fight with his injuries and horrific weight cut. But he wasn't crying because his career was over.

You can listen to his stories, but we know for a fact he didn't retire that night but instead took another 5 months to do so. He continued to be ranked as well as tested by USADA, and both require active status with the UFC, which Khabib could've ended any time he wanted to by actually and formally informing the UFC of his retirement.

HOW ARE RANKINGS DETERMINED?
Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC.

https://www.ufc.com/rankings

RETIREMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
For USADA and UFC anti-doping purposes, UFC athletes who retire from competitive sport must promptly inform the UFC in writing through fax, courier, or email of their retirement. Athletes who have not formally notified UFC of their retirement, or otherwise ceased their contractual relationship with UFC, shall remain subject to the requirements of an athlete in the UFC Registered Testing Pool (UFC RTP), including the obligation to submit to doping control upon request.

https://ufc.usada.org/testing/retirement/

Retiring isn't something you just say, there are actually steps you need to take and Khabib actively wasn't taking them. I mean, he literally asked at the post-fight press conference to be ranked #1 P4P in the next rankings. Had he actually been retiring that would've been impossible as he'd have been pulled from being eligible. He knew he'd fake retired.

We know Khabib didn't actually retire until March 2021 as that's when both stopped as that's when he finally actually did formally retire. His stories are verifiably just stories. He was contemplating retiring, and eventually went through with it, because he himself was physically, mentally, spiritually, whatever done with it. That's it. Personally it's IMO most likely because he couldn't make LW anymore and didn't want to risk trying for 30-0, as father always wanted him to retire at, at WW, but it's definitely not the nonsense he talks about while doing the opposites of.

"Mama made me retire despite the fact I fought again anyways" is just propaganda the dude puts out to make it seem like he was invincible and could've continued forever had it just been up to him. Same way he recently basically said he'd still be reigning today if were up to him. It's all nonsense for his image. I don't fault the guy for promoting himself, but that's all it is. Just watch his actual actions.
 
Post 2 Decision said:
Barao, for you noobs, lost his debut pro fight, and then went on a 32 fight win streak (there was a No Contest sprinkled in there)

At 32-1, going into his fight vs TJ Dillashaw to defend his belt, Dana White called him the P4P best fighter in the world. (https://www.dailynews.com/2014/05/2...ao-best-pound-for-pound-fighter-in-the-world/)

That's right

Barao was so good, that he was considered one of the P4P best fighters in the world, and the #1 best by Dana.

Imagine if he left the sport before the TJ fight, he would have had 3 UFC title defenses, sound familiar?

Imagine how different his legacy would have been, had he called it quits, like Khabib. 32-1, 3 title defenses, 32 fight win streak. He would be remembered as an all time great.

He has now gone 2-8 in his last 10 fights, which no one would have ever predicted before his loss to TJ.

Attributing future success, based on past success, is simply not reliable in determining greatness. Anyone who has followed the sport for a while knows this. Your favourite fighter will drop off, it happens to everybody. Khabib-era fans have not seen anything like it yet in their fan-lifetime, so the idea is foreign to them.

Khabib had a stellar career, obviously was one of the most dominant fighters we have ever seen, but don't pretend that because he only struggled with Tibau that he would go 50-0. You cannot attribute make-believe future wins to his legacy.

Careers ending weakly/badly do not discredit a fighter's massive accomplishments. Anderson Silva, for example, had 13 UFC title fight wins, but he ended his MMA career taking on a bunch of losses. You can't tell me that Khabib's 'legacy' is even remotely comparable to Silva's (PEDs yes yes I know) just because he kept fighting past his peak.

In b4 Khabib living rent free in my head, this is an MMA forum where we talk about MMA fighters. This thread is made as a response to the GOAT polls that have been made (Jones v Khabib, DJ vs Khabib)
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Loses don't define a fighter?
Then what does?
Because one fighter's loss is another fighter's win.
So, yea....
 
That’s what separates the great, smart fighters from the rest. Knowing when to leave is truly important in life. A party, a relationship, job, career, etc.
 
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Post 2 Decision said:
Stay mad.

Keep pretending Khabib's legacy can hold a candle to GSP, Fedor, Jones, Aldo, DJ, Silva, etc.
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GSP was 32 when he first retired after 11 years and 27 fights with a couple losses. Khabib retired at 31 with 29 fights, no losses after 12 years. GSP's original retirement was in less time with fewer fights than Khabib, so why did Khabib "leave the sport early" but not GSP?

Jones and Silva both failed drug tests.
 
Losses do indeed define a fighter just as much as wins do.

And Barao's record of wins doesn't hold a candle to Khabib's.
 
nostradumbass said:
GSP was 32 when he first retired after 11 years and 27 fights with a couple losses. Khabib retired at 31 with 29 fights, no losses after 12 years. GSP's original retirement was in less time with fewer fights than Khabib, so why did Khabib "leave the sport early" but not GSP?

Jones and Silva both failed drug tests.
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How many wins in title fights does GSP have Sherbro
 
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