Nurmagomedov Not Overly Impressed by Holloway, Compares UFC 223 Foe to Edson Barboza

Khabib Nurmagomedov says he has watched every single bout of Max Holloway’s current 12-fight UFC winning streak.

The final verdict? The Dagestani grappler acknowledges that Holloway has beaten some quality opposition during that time, but he wants to point out that the Hawaiian hasn’t faced anyone on par with “The Eagle.”

“I watched all of his opponents. I watch his 12-fight winning streak,” Nurmagomedov said during a press conference to promote UFC 223 on Wednesday. “Like, [Jose] Aldo, Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas – nobody like me. I am a bigger fighter.”

Holloway’s rise to prominence in the UFC includes the aforementioned trio as well as the likes of Cub Swanson, Anthony Pettis and Charles Oliveira. In fact, he hasn’t lost since falling to Conor McGregor at UFC Fight Night 26 in August 2013. Still Nurmagomedov would like to point out that Holloway hasn’t faced anyone with a dominant wrestling or grappling background during that time.

“I watch his whole fights. They didn’t have anything with grappling or takedowns,” Nurmagomedov said. “Always opponents everybody is striking guys. He don’t care about wrestling. He fights with Aldo, Pettis, all these guys, Lamas, Jeremy Stephens. He beat a lot of good guys. But styles make fights. It’s a very hard fight for him. If you want to fight me, he needs maybe 24 more years for training to becomes new guy, wrestling guy.”

Nurmagomedov has fashioned an impressive winning streak of his own. The American Kickboxing Academy product is 25-0 since beginning his professional career, including nine straight triumphs under the UFC banner. In many of his victories, the Dagestan native breaks his opponents through suffocating top pressure and grappling. Most recently, he overwhelmed celebrated Brazilian striker Edson Barboza en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win at UFC 219.

Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Holloway will be a significantly different opponent than Barboza.

“I just fight with a fighter like him two months ago. I fight with Edson Barboza,” Nurmagomedov said. “What’s the difference between him and [Holloway]?

“If you talk about [styles], I fought with Edson Barboza two months ago. He’s a very good striker, boxing kicking, everything. He’s bigger than [Holloway] and he had 10 weeks for training camp.”