Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Charles Oliveira: UFC fans compare lightweight title reign in heated Twitter thread

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered the greatest lightweight of all time and the Dagestani grappling phenom's impressive unbeaten streak is a testament to his fighting prowess.

However, there has been a debate among fans regarding Oliveira's place in the lightweight 'GOAT' list, with many arguing that the Brazilian is firmly in the conversation as the greatest lightweight fighter in the UFC.

A Twitter post by Spinnin Backfist posed the hotly debated question to MMA fans, who made their arguments in the comments section of the post.

One user posted screenshots of Nurmagomedov's MMA record and compared it to Oliveira's, concluding that 'do Bronx' had tougher opponents to beat during his run. Referencing Tommy Fury, he joked:

"Easy to be undefeated if you’re crushing cans. Khabib is the LW Tommy Fury."

Another user backed Khabib Nurmagomedov, saying:

"The one that didn't lose during his title reign."

One fan wrote:

"Yes Khabib was boring but come on he's the lightweight goat. He beat everyone."

Another fan opined:

"Charles had one title defense. How is this even a question."

Meanwhile, several others backed Charles Oliveira instead, with one user stating:

"Charles fought better versions of Poirer and Gaethje and finished them faster."

Interestingly, an audience poll under the same post showed Oliveira as the public choice, with 61% votes versus Khabib Nurmagomedov at 39%.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Charles Oliveira: 'When The Eagle' dismissed the idea of 'do Bronx' being the GOAT

Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the UFC's most accomplished fighters and is certainly among the greatest lightweights to ever compete in the sport. The Dagestani icon was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2022 and holds several notable records in the promotion. His professional record is a perfect 29-0 with 13-0 in the UFC.

Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira cemented his place in promotional history when the jiu-jitsu maestro broke the record for most submissions and finishes in UFC history. The Brazilian also holds the record for most submission wins in the lightweight and featherweight divisions. Before his loss to Islam Makhachev, Oliveira was on a hot eleven-fight win streak.

Nevertheless, Khabib Nurmagomedov was not impressed and dismissed the idea of Charles Oliveira being on his level in the greatest lightweight debate.

In a May 2022 interview with ESPN MMA, 'The Eagle' outlined why he thought so:

"He impressed me like little bit, but every fight he goes down... Every fight he goes down, couple of times... This is like a little bit questionable. Nobody ever touched my face, and all the time he go down. People cannot talk about like compare me vs. Charles Oliveira.

Watch the full interview below: