The world of mixed martial arts has seen many dominant grapplers, but few names shine as bright as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. These two fighters changed the game with their relentless wrestling styles. Another name is turning heads for the same reason – Khamzat Chimaev. And who better to compare these wrestling phenoms than the legendary coach Javier Mendez?
Mendez has trained some of MMA’s greatest champions. His latest comments about Chimaev’s ground game have stirred up quite a buzz in the fighting community. In a recent chat with Red Corner MMA, Mendez dropped what many would call a bombshell.
”I think they’re at the same level. but they’re different… like Khabib and Islam. They’re on the same level, but they each bring something unique. Khamzat is different—he’s not Islam, he’s not Khabib, he’s Khamzat. So, I would rate his ground skills as A+. A+ for Islam, A+ for Khabib, but they’re all distinct. In my book, they’re all A+.”
Khamzat Chimaev showed precisely what the mastermind behind the American Kickboxing Academy was talking about at UFC 308. Poor Robert Whittaker found himself on the wrong end of a submission that was so nasty it knocked his teeth out of alignment.
What makes Mendez’s assessment particularly fascinating is his explanation of how these fighters differ. While rating them all as “A+” grapplers, he emphasizes that each brings something unique to the cage. Khamzat Chimaev’s style combines explosive power with technical prowess, making him a unique threat anyone has yet to solve.
Joe Rogan puts Khamzat Chimaev’s ground game over that of Khabib Nurmagomedov
Few discussions in the MMA community get fans as fired up as those about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy. The undefeated fighter from Dagestan left such a mark that any comparison feels like poking a bear. But Joe Rogan just couldn’t help himself after UFC 308.
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The trigger for this spicy take was Khamzat Chimaev’s jaw-dropping performance against Robert Whittaker. Speaking on his JRE #2220, Rogan made waves by suggesting that Chimaev’s dominance might surpass Khabib’s. For MMA fans, that’s like saying someone’s better than Michael Jordan!
“Maybe even more intense, maybe even more dominant [ thanNurmagomedov]. To do that to Whittaker, a guy who’s a world champion, like even the Conor [McGregor] fight, it took a while before [Khabib] overwhelmed him…This was just an overwhelming victory.”
The core of Rogan’s argument centers on the speed and brutality of Khamzat Chimaev’s victory. He pointed out how ‘The Eagle,’ even in his famous fight with Conor McGregor, needed time to impose his will. Nurmagomedov is a cultural icon that widely popularized UFC among millions of people. And the MMA community won’t take this comparison lying down.
Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev Regrets The Mistake He Made After Challenging Lightweight Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov
