Has Ilia Topuria already exceeded Khabib Nurmagomedov on the list of UFC goats? A career retrospective
It took only two and a half minutes to Ilia Topuria to trigger a new wave of goat debates in the MMA world after the UFC 317. Topuria ended the title of Charles Oliveira with a brutal Knock-out and cemented its status as UFC champion with two divisions.
The victory crowned a puffed race which now requires fans and analysts to ask a daring question: if Topuria has already exceeded Khabib Nurmagomedov on the goat scale? Let’s explore the debate closely:
Ilia Topune and Khabib Nurmagomedov Goat Debate Breakdown
Ilia Topuria holds a perfect professional record of 17-0 with seven victories by Ko, eight by submission, and only two fights at the distance.
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This balance is rare at the upper level. He finished world -class strikers and high -level grapplers. Since its beginnings in the UFC in 2020, Topuria has dismantled Ryan Hall, Bryce Mitchell, Josh Emmett, Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and now Charles Oliveira.
Three of these names held the gold UFC and are the future of the renowned temple without any doubt. He obtained five performances from night bonuses and a fight for the honor of the night.
His achievement of coronation came with a direct elimination victory on Volkanovski. Then came a defense of the title against Holloway which ended in a devastating way. In April 2025, he left the belt to go up, and two months later, he eliminated Charles Oliveira to win the vacant light weight title.
With this, he became the first undefeated fighter in the history of the UFC to hold the belts in two divisions. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov retired at 29-0 with three defenses of the title in the light division.
He beat Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje during his reign. His grappling style suffocated the opponents, but his reign as a champion was relatively short.
He did his debut in the UFC in 2012 and won the belt until 2018. His first UFC race was slowed down by gamemaking injuries and delays. While Nurmagomedov withdrew undefeated and undisputed, he left questions about how he would have dealt with stylistic threats like Charles Oliveira or a first Tony Ferguson.
Has Ilia Topuria already exceeded Khabib Nurmagomedov on the list of UFC goats?
The answer to this question is subjective depending on how a fan defines grandeur. Is this the cleanest record against higher competition, or is it longevity at the top?
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired on top, never bled inside the octagon and never faced a real danger. But he had only three title defenses and retired earlier than most champions.
Ilia Topuria, on the other hand, has already won over two divisions and takes on dangerous consecutive names. His skills are more well balanced than those of Nurmagomedov.
That said, “El Matador” always has work to do. The aura of Nurmagomedov was rooted in domination for a long time. Topuria has taken more risks and has already been cut, famous against Jai Herbert at UFC London.
In addition, the heritage of Nurmagomedov is also linked to its cultural impact and its mentoring of combatants like Makhachev and his cousin Umar. Currently, Topuria’s work is compared well. But he needs time and more defenses of titles before claiming this status.
Name of Ethitod and Abhishak
