Gleison Tibau: Young Khabib More Difficult to Wrestle Than Arman Tsarukyan Is Now

Gleison Tibau believes former foe Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest MMA fighter of all time.

Nurmagomedov faced Tibau in his sophomore Ultimate Fighting Championship outing back in 2012 while the Brazilian was arguably in his prime. A 24-year-old “Eagle” faced one of the toughest tests of his life against Tibau, failing to land a single takedown in 13 attempts. Meanwhile, Tibau landed a takedown on Nurmagomedov and also slightly outstruck him on the feet. However, the undefeated Dagestani prospect went on to earn a controversial unanimous decision win, which many believe should have gone the other way.

Tibau recorded wins over the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Francisco Trinaldo and Jeremy Stephens over the course of a UFC career that spanned more than a decade. He alternated between wins and losses after his setback against Nurmagomedov and parted ways with the promotion in 2018 on the back of a four-fight slump — which included a KO loss against Nurmagomedov training partner Islam Makhachev.

Tibau later signed with Professional Fighters League and has since moved on to regional promotions. The 41-year-old with over 50 pro outings to his name continues to compete even today and is currently on a two-fight winning streak, the most recent one dating back to this past September.

Tibau currently trains with No. 1 ranked UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan at American Top Team in Florida. Tsarukyan is expected to challenge Makhachev for the title next and poses a tough test to the Dagestani’s grappling-heavy style. However, Tibau claims its easier for him to wrestle “Ahalkalakets” now than it was to grapple a young Nurmagomedov when he was in his prime.

Home of Fight provided a translated version of Tibau’s comments from a recent interview with Russian outlet Ushatayka.

"For me Khabib - is the best of all time,” Tibau said.

🤔 🤼‍♂️ Gleison Tibau says that it was harder to wrestle young Khabib when Gleison was in his prime, than it is to wrestle with Arman Tsarukyan now.

"For me Khabib - is the best of all times."

🎥 Interview with Ushatayka. pic.twitter.com/duHAgY5vDM

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 25, 2024