When it comes to the UFC GOAT debate, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s name is consistently mentioned among the greatest to ever grace the Octagon. The Russian retired with the lightweight championship belt around his waist while boasting a perfect 29-0 record, an extremely rare feat in MMA. Both of these achievements are often considered enough to cement ‘The Eagle’ as one of the greatest ever. However, Dana White seems to have different criteria.

In a recent interview with TMZ, the UFC CEO stated that Khabib’s decision to retire early has significantly damaged his chances of ever being considered the UFC GOAT.

“Who knows what Khabib could have accomplished if he stayed in the game?” White said. “And realistically, if Khabib had done what everybody pretty much knows Khabib could have done, he definitely would be the GOAT.”

For many, Dana White’s take could come as a surprise, but it’s actually the 57-year-old’s long-standing belief. He has repeatedly reiterated that Khabib retired too early following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 and that the Russian could have achieved much more had he remained active. White also tried his best to convince the former lightweight champion to return to fighting. However, ‘The Eagle’s’ decision remained final, as he didn’t want to fight without his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, by his side.

But while Dana White has now revealed the core reason why Khabib hasn’t made his GOAT list, he has never explicitly specified the criteria he uses to determine who belongs on it. However, we can make a reasonable assumption based on how he regards Jon Jones as the greatest UFC fighter of all time.

In a 2022 interview with GQ, White actually compared Khabib’s legacy to Jones’. While doing so, he pointed out that ‘Bones’ went on to fight for the heavyweight title after a successful light heavyweight run, an opportunity the Dagestani legend never had, once again reiterating that Khabib “retired too early.”

In that case, it’s fair to assume that, to make Dana White’s exclusive GOAT list, a fighter needs to combine a near-perfect record with championship success across multiple divisions. By the time the Russian legend retired, he had defended the lightweight title three times against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. However, he never managed to achieve double-champion status, as he walked away from the sport before leaping to another division.

However, Khabib Nurmagomedov himself once clarified that he doesn’t consider himself the greatest fighter of all time, instead giving that status to Jon Jones and Fedor Emelianenko. Still, the UFC CEO’s already controversial GOAT discussion took an even more controversial turn when he ruled out another UFC star who stands on the cusp of achieving that very feat.

Dana White says Islam Makhachev can’t become UFC GOAT for one reason

At UFC 330, Islam Makhachev is all set to etch his name further into the history books. The reigning welterweight champion is currently tied with Anderson Silva for the most consecutive wins in UFC history, with both men riding 16-fight winning streaks. If the Dagestani icon manages to defeat Ian Garry in Philadelphia, he will break ‘The Spider’s’ record and become the sole owner of the longest winning streak in UFC history.

Also, after becoming the first Russian UFC fighter to become a two-division champion last year by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, Makhachev now looks to defend his new title for the first time, a feat even his mentor Khabib could never accomplish.

Yet, despite stacking up these remarkable achievements, Dana White believes the reigning welterweight champion still cannot claim GOAT status. According to the UFC CEO, the single loss on Makhachev’s record has prevented him from reaching that pinnacle. However, White also admits that Makhachev has already accomplished more than Khabib. 

“Me and my friends have just been talking about it right now,” Dana White told TMZ in that same interview. “If he didn’t have that one loss, we’d probably consider him the GOAT right now. Yeah, he’s obviously accomplished more than Khabib because he’s fought longer.”

Islam Makhachev suffered the sole loss of his MMA career against Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in Houston back in 2015. That means it has been more than a decade since the Dagestani last tasted defeat.

Since then, Makhachev has gone on to become the lightweight champion, defended the belt four times, and surpassed the records of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson, who both recorded three title defenses at 155 pounds. He then moved up a weight class, captured another belt, and is now preparing to defend it for the first time.

Still, Dana White believes that lone blemish remains a major hurdle for Makhachev to be considered the greatest of all time. So, it’s safe to say Jon Jones remains the UFC CEO’s GOAT for now, but it will be fascinating to see whether his opinion changes if Makhachev racks up a few more title defenses at 170 pounds.