Arman Tsarukyan believes Conor McGregor would not have been able to defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov even in their respective primes due to stylistic reasons. Tsarukyan explained that Khabib's wrestling was unstoppable and that style makes the fight. He acknowledged Khabib's excellence in grappling but noted he was not as exceptional in striking. Tsarukyan does not think a prime McGregor could have knocked out a prime Khabib. The comments reflect Tsarukyan's analysis of the historic matchup between the two fighters.
Arman Tsarukyan has weighed in on one of MMA's most debated hypotheticals, arguing that Conor McGregor would not have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov even if both men had met at the peak of their powers.
Tsarukyan, 29, is currently the number-one ranked lightweight contender and carries a 23-3 record competing out of American Top Team. The Russian stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy, while also averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes — a profile that gives him a genuine understanding of how wrestling can dictate a lightweight fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated former lightweight champion from Russia, retired with a flawless 29-0 record. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, Khabib averaged a remarkable 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career, a figure that underlines the suffocating grappling Tsarukyan referenced in his comments. Tsarukyan acknowledged that while Khabib was not equally exceptional on the feet, his wrestling was simply unstoppable.
McGregor, the 37-year-old Irish southpaw from SBG Ireland, holds a 22-6 record and remains one of the sport's most dangerous strikers, averaging 5.32 significant strikes per minute with a 74-inch reach. Tsarukyan's point, however, was that McGregor's striking excellence would not have been enough to put away a prime Khabib, framing his analysis around the principle that style makes the fight.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's credentials as the lightweight division's top-ranked contender lend weight to his stylistic breakdown
- The comments reignite discussion about how a prime McGregor's one-punch power would have fared against elite, relentless wrestling
- Khabib's 29-0 record and elite takedown rate remain the benchmark any lightweight contender, including Tsarukyan, is measured against
