Chael Sonnen gives take on who could have dethroned Khabib Nurmagomedov
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Khabib Nurmagomedov certainly made a mark on the sport. The now-retired lightweight was undoubtedly the most dominant champion the sport has been.
Many media members and analysts believe he’s up there in the greatest of all-time conversations. It’s difficult to argue against that statement, considering Nurmagomedov finished his career with a record (29-0).
“The Eagle” cruised through his UFC career, handling his opposition with ease. Thirteen fighters tried to defeat the Russian in the UFC, but not one was successful in their quest. Although showcasing such dominance inside the Octagon, the former fighter turned analysis, Chael Sonnen, believes he knows somebody who would be capable of keeping up with the pace of Nurmagomedov.
That somebody is thirty-five-year-old Gregor Gillespie. Sonnen broke down on his YouTube Channel why he believes Gillepsie would be the man for the job.
Chael Sonnen Explains Why Gregor Gillepsie Has the Skill-Set to Defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov
“When I would have private conversations… people would ask me all the time, is there anyone that could beat Khabib. Who’s the guy that can stop Khabib?” Sonnen said.
“In private conversations, I would say we actually have a guy now. He (was) 11-0, he’s a national wrestling champion, nobody’s ever come close to taking him down, he’s taken absolutely everybody down, oh, and by the way, he can hold up.”
Sonnen then moves on to break down the clash of styles and gives his honest view on why Gregor Gillespie presents a problem.
“One thing that Khabib could do was push a pace that was much higher than what the opponent could push back. He made his living getting people tired. That’s how highly I personally think of him.” Sonnen stated.
“Now in all fairness, I did not do that publicly but the reason I didn’t do that publicly was you didn’t know what a Gregor Gillespie was.” (Transcribed by MiddleEasy)
Gregor Gillespie (14-1) returned to competition last year following a two-year hiatus from the sport after being on the wrong end of a viral knockout from Kevin Lee. Gillespie defeated Diego Ferreira in round two in an exhausting back and forth affair.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has fought far more superior competition throughout his time under the UFC. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately assess how Gillespie would fair against the most dominant champion in UFC history.
Do you agree with Chael Sonnen? Could Gregor Gillespie have been the man to dethrone Khabib Nurmagomedov?
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