Khamzat Chimaev vs Khabib: Who Is the Better Wrestler?

On Saturday evening, Khamzat Chimaev consummated seemingly what was inevitable since his UFC tenure debut in 2020. He became the UFC 185-pound champ in dominant fashion at UFC 319. Chimaev’s approach to the game was met with some criticism, as his style was booed by the crowd during the wrestling-heavy match. Another name who received similar criticism during his time was Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Despite that, he was widely supported by MMA purists, for his dominant skill set and top mount were viewed as indomitable. ‘The Eagle’ retired 29-0, and something that stops people from putting him in GOAT talks is that he hung up early. Given his wrestling pressure and that he himself can reach similar stats. Khamzat Chimaev is poised to have a better legacy here.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Khamzat Chimaev

The Russian will always be known for pioneering the wrestle-heavy game in UFC competition. Khabib Nurmagomedov touted quite the fluidity in TDs and chaining up something later. But what was his USP was the sticky top mount; many top crops have iterated that it’s almost impossible to get Khabib to retract from that sticky mount.

Khabib hung it up with a Best ESPY Submission contender at UFC 254 PPV. But before that, at UFC 229, he showcased he has a fluid standup as well and went to war with Conor McGregor.

Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, has unstoppable pressure; in no fight has he ever not executed his double-leg TD. And in no match has he ever not been successful with it. Chimaev’s last 3-4 fights consisted of him shooting a double-leg in about 00:12-13 time. Even at UFC 319, ‘Borz’ shot within two split seconds from the opening and did it every other round.

Chimaev just doesn’t have a sticky mount, but rather sticky and very strong all-around wrestling. He usually likes to execute impervious side control or take the back. While he doesn’t always threaten a submission, he has used a plethora of techniques to submit.

🫡🤝Javier Mendez says Khamzat Chimaev's grappling is as elite as Khabib and Islam Makhachev's grappling:

"I think they're the same level but they're different…I would say his skillset on the ground, I'd say A+, A+ for Islam, A+ for Khabib, but they're all different but… pic.twitter.com/PlH1Qecdrx

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) November 3, 2024

From top or side control, Chimaev judiciously keeps swivelling around the pelvic stem to always and always keep a rival pinned down. Agile fighters like Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman, with the latter having quite a stiff knee, standing TD defense, couldn’t help but fold.

Khabib has the greater skill ceiling here, but when it comes to pure wrestling, Chimaev just cannot be answered. Chimaev also touts a 100% TD defense and hardly gets rocked at all.

A legacy comparison

Most of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career wins came when he was establishing himself in the UFC against almost subpar competition. He did make some heavy competition towards the end. Then, he hung it up after only three title defenses of the undisputed gold.

Khamzat Chimaev already took the belt from someone who was projected to have an unbeatable fighting style. DDP also made triple defenses of the gold. He also matched up to Kamaru Usman. Usman is one of the greats of the sport, a bona fide legend and a former #1 Pound-for-pound fighter.

Khamzat Chimaev joins Khabib Nurmagomedov, Israel Adesanya, and Ilia Topuria as one of the few fighters to become UFC champion while remaining undefeated 👑🔥 #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/RqMVpinMaE

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 17, 2025

That is an approach that Chimaev could adopt differently, thereby potentially achieving a superior outcome to that of his Russian counterpart.

If ‘Borz’ successfully defends his title multiple times in the 185-pound weight class, which is a probable outcome, he could potentially move up to the 205-pound weight class, becoming a double champion — a feat not achieved by Khabib.

ALSO READ: Khamzat Chimaev Happy With His UFC 319 PPV Win — Reversed #1 Doubt From Before Fight