Georges St-Pierre's coach, Firas Zahabi, recently offered a comprehensive analysis the dream match-up against Khabib Nurmagomedov, breaking it down across all aspects of the game— striking, grappling, submissions, and more.
"The Eagle" is widely hailed as one of the most dominant forces in UFC history, boasting a flawless professional record of 29-0. Nurmagomedov has often expressed that it was his dream to challenge another legend of the sport, St-Pierre. However, this fantasy matchup remains one of MMA's greatest "what-ifs," as the two icons competed in different weight classes and eras.
Despite 'Rush' having two losses in his 28-fight career, he remains on par—or perhaps even ahead—of Nurmagomedov in the ongoing 'greatest of all time' debates. This comparison has sparked a persistent question within the MMA community: who would prevail in a hypothetical clash between these two icons?
Zahabi Offers Honest Take On St-Pierre vs. Nurmagomedov Showdown
During a recent appearance on Life Haqq, Zahabi was asked to share his impartial take on who would emerge victorious in a hypothetical 165-pound catchweight clash between St-Pierre and Nurmagomedov.
The esteemed MMA coach noted that GSP has the upper hand in standup striking, citing his higher volume of career strikes. However, Zahabi acknowledged that while St-Pierre is equally adept in grappling, Nurmagomedov holds a distinct advantage when it comes to takedowns and takedown defense.
Zahabi went on to assess that both UFC Hall of Famers are evenly matched when it comes to controlling the pace of the fight. While he acknowledged that their ground-and-pound skills are nearly identical, he gave a slight advantage to "The Eagle".
The TriStar Gym owner also weighed in on their submission game, favoring St-Pierre. Zahabi explained that GSP faced more grappling-heavy opponents throughout his career, whereas Nurmagomedov predominantly squared off against elite strikers like Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. He further remarked that, in his view, both legends are equally matched in terms of stamina, predicting that their fantasy showdown would likely go the full five rounds
Lastly, Zahabi offered his prediction, stating that, realistically, this would be an incredibly tough fight to declare a definitive winner. He added that any decision would likely be highly contentious, making it a controversial bout to score.
If it were a pound-for-pound thing, I would say it's an even fight," Zahabi said. "I think it's going to be a pick who you think won, you know. It's just such a hard thing to call. It would be really tough. It would be a very tough fight to call.
While Zahabi envisions the hypothetical matchup as a razor-close contest, St-Pierre expressed a more confident stance during his appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast this past March. GSP boldly stated that he believes he has what it takes to shatter Nurmagomedov's unbeaten record.