Daniel Cormier explains why he thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov should be the clear GOAT

Daniel Cormier says he is genuinely puzzled that more fans do not place Khabib Nurmagomedov at the top of the all-time hierarchy, arguing that the simplest argument is also the strongest one. Speaking in the context of the ongoing UFC GOAT conversation, Cormier’s position is that Nurmagomedov’s record and title résumé create a separation from the rest of the sport, even for people who believe Khabib retired sooner than expected.

The crux of Cormier’s reasoning, as outlined in the discussion reported by Yahoo Sports, is the way Nurmagomedov closed his UFC career. Nurmagomedov retired with a perfect 29-0 mark, and he left the sport while holding the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. For Cormier, that combination matters because it is not merely dominance in a single era, it is dominance that remains intact through the final chapter of a career.

Cormier also points to what Nurmagomedov did while he was champion. In 2020, Nurmagomedov defended the lightweight title three times before retiring. That matters in GOAT arguments because title defenses are often treated as the most concrete evidence of sustained greatness, and they help distinguish a run of good form from an all-time ceiling.

Part of the debate around Nurmagomedov’s legacy is built around the idea that he stepped away “too early.” Cormier acknowledges that the retirement timing has fueled the disagreement, but he does not treat it as a reason to lower Nurmagomedov’s status. In this framing, the absence of additional fights is irrelevant if the resume already proves the point that a GOAT standard is being met.

Nurmagomedov’s perfection as a mixed martial arts record holder is a factor that tends to overshadow stylistic preferences. Fans can debate striking volume, submission style, or defensive approach, but undefeated finishes the argument in a way that few fighters can replicate over the course of a long career. Cormier’s view, according to the reported remarks, is that those results make the GOAT case feel less like opinion and more like math.

The GOAT debate also has an “era” element that complicates comparisons across different weight classes and rule evolutions. Cormier’s comments, however, focus less on surrounding context and more on the literal outcomes Nurmagomedov produced. He is not arguing that Khabib was the only dominant fighter or that every category of greatness favors him, but rather that the specific combination of an undefeated run and undisputed lightweight championship reign is a decisive marker.

For UFC audiences, Cormier’s stance is likely to reignite the same split in the conversation: some fans will continue to emphasize longevity and the ability to sustain greatness for longer stretches, while others will argue that an undefeated, undisputed champion is the clearest possible peak. What to watch next is whether other prominent UFC voices respond with counterpoints, and how fans weigh the retirement-timing question against the finished product on the record.

In the end, the debate is not only about who was best, but about what best means. Cormier’s answer is that Nurmagomedov’s undefeated closure and championship dominance make him too hard to dislodge, even if the sport never gets the chance to see what would have come after 2020.