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When fantasy matchups enter the MMA world, emotions run wild. Some imagine Khabib Nurmagomedov testing himself against Georges St-Pierre. Others wonder what would have happened if the Tony Ferguson clash hadn’t been cursed by fate. But now? The dream fight on fans’ minds features a collision of worlds: ‘The Eagle’s suffocating grappling versus Alex Pereira’s nuclear striking. In today’s MMA landscape, ‘Poatan’ stands tall as a two-division UFC champion with one of the most terrifying highlight reels in combat sports. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, walked away undefeated at 29-0, retired at the peak of his powers, and sits in the Hall of Fame as the most dominant lightweight ever. So naturally, someone asked the question that could set any fanbase on fire: Does Alex Pereira now have a better resume than Khabib? Henry Cejudo backs Khabib Nurmagomedov against Alex Pereira despite wanting a “little bit more” from ‘The Eagle’ That question landed on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, and Henry Cejudo didn’t hesitate to stir the pot. He asked, “What if they both meet at 185 pounds? Does Khabib, and this is a real question, bro, because I’ve seen what Khabib is able to do to light heavyweights and heavyweights, bro, with this grappling. You put Alex Pereira and Khabib Nurmagomedov at 185 pounds and they both make that weight. Who wins Kamaru?” His co-host and former welterweight king, Kamaru Usman, didn’t hesitate as he responded with, “Obviously Khabib Nurmagomedov.” Cejudo celebrated with, “I rest my case. I’m Triple C.” But Usman wasn’t done. He challenged the logic, arguing that beating someone hypothetically doesn’t automatically mean you have the better resume. Cejudo tried to counter with the Terence Crawford comparison, a fighter being praised for moving up divisions when he took on Canelo Alvarez. “Why are they putting him on GOAT Mountain?” he asked. Usman fired back that Crawford earned recognition over time. And then the real moment arrived, the rare admission from Cejudo that echoed a longtime criticism of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career. ‘ Triple C’ pointed out, “He has not done enough. I’ve told this to Khabib like, I don’t want to fight with the dude. You know I’m saying? But I remember we had a really heated conversation between us because I don’t put Khabib in front of me. I really don’t. You know, if Khabib, would have went up in a couple of weight classes of what he’s done, then yeah, bro. Like you, you would have to, man, in the fashion that he’s done. But if he could have done a little bit more, bro, I truly do believe that Khabib would be, you know, Khabib would do some amazing things, bro.“ He even said he believes ‘The Eagle’ could win a belt at 185 pounds, “even being a 55er.” However, Kamaru Usman wasn’t convinced. He reminded Cejudo that middleweights “cut from like 215, 220” and the shots “come different.” Cejudo snapped back that the Dagestani juggernaut wouldn’t strike with Alex Pereira anyway, which triggered Usman’s final push: you still have to engage sometime. Eventually, Cejudo gave a definitive answer to the original question: Does Alex Pereira have a better résumé than Khabib? His answer on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast: “No.” So what does this debate really reveal? On skill, both legends command respect. On hypothetical matchups, ‘The Eagle’ still inspires confidence from champions who’ve felt elite power and pressure themselves. But on legacy, the story written, not imagined, even Cejudo, one of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s biggest supporters, admitted one thing clearly: the Russian could have done a little more. However, hypothetical matchups aside, the next test for ‘Poatan’s legacy may not come from Dagestan but from New Zealand instead! Carlos Ulberg wants Pereira to stay at “light heavyweight” for next fight Legacy debates are fun. But real fights shape history, and at light heavyweight, someone is knocking loudly on the champion’s door. Enter Carlos Ulberg. Fresh off a knockout win over former title challenger Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth, the surging New Zealander isn’t whispering about his ambitions. He’s calling his shot. Speaking to MMA Junkie, he recently stated, ”You know what? I’d love to fight Alex. I think that’s the big fight. That’s the money fight. That’s an entertaining fight. That’s what the fans would love to see and watch.” It’s a bold stance in a stacked division. Jiri Prochazka is looming, and others are circling. Yet Ulberg believes timing and circumstance favor his rise. While Pereira has openly teased a move to heavyweight for a potential Jon Jones showdown at the UFC White House card next year, a jump that could force him to vacate the light heavyweight belt, Ulberg hopes ‘Poatan’ stays put long enough for a collision. According to him, “I’d hope that he’d stick around the light heavyweight division so I could fight Pereira. That would be amazing. That’d be the fight that I’ve always wanted—to fight Alex. And you beat someone like Alex, that just means you’re at that top, that top level. So, um… this is putting all the other guys out of the picture, but I want Alex.” Even Prochazka’s push didn’t shake him. Why? Because in Ulberg’s view, the Czech star already had his chances and lost twice to Pereira. So here we are, arguing fantasy matchups while real ones line up at the door. And right now, Alex Pereira stands in the middle of a crossroads. He could stay at 205 lbs and silence hungry challengers like Ulberg. Or he could gamble and chase the history books by moving up to face Jon Jones. One path preserves his reign. The other could elevate him into rare air, the “GOAT Mountain” that Henry Cejudo referenced!
