Carlos Barreto Suggests Khabib Nurmagomedov Could Win 170-Pound Title

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter-turned-commentator Carlos Barreto believes Khabib Nurmagomedov could be a threat in multiple divisions if he came back.

On Jan. 30, manager Ali Abdelaziz posted on social media claiming that if Nurmagomedov (29-0) decided to come back to the UFC, he could rule the roost in three different weight classes. The renowned manager did mistake Israel Adesanya as the beltholder at 185 pounds instead of Dricus Du Plessis, but he pitched a 2024 schedule for Nurmagomedov to win in three divisions. First, Abdelaziz stated that Nurmagomedov would start at middleweight in April, move up to light heavyweight in July and then drop to 170 pounds in December to become the first simultaneous three-division champ in a major organization.

This fantasy matchmaking against Adesanya, Alex Pereira and Leon Edwards, the manager claimed his fighter would be a “statistically bad nightmare for all these guys.”

UFC Fight Pass Brazil commentator Barreto, on his podcast Papo de Luta, weighed in on the bold claim on Monday.

“I think Aziz exaggerated a bit on his idolatry for Khabib,” the UFC 15 competitor admitted. “Don't get me wrong, I respect Nurmagomedov a lot, no doubt the Russian is among the greatest [in the history] of the sport, but we must [remember] that he has vulnerabilities on his game that were not exposed by the top five guys he faced in his generation.”

The Carlson Gracie black belt weighed in on all three of the fighters that Abdelaziz noted, expressing some doubt as to how successful Nurmagomedov would be in these new weight classes. Early in his career, “The Eagle” fought at welterweight, with his biggest win at 170 pounds over future ACA champ Ali Bagov.

“Izzy gets really vulnerable on the fence, as [Sean] Strickland showed us, probably Khabib could take him down, but I’m not sure for how long he could keep himself on top. He could win by points; ‘Poatan’ fights in a different way that makes the opponents exchange blows with him. Besides, [Pereira is] much bigger and a sniper, so I think he would be a problem to Khabib. Concerning Edwards, even evolving his overall game, I believe Khabib could take him down and impose his game. But we also have to be concerned all the time that Khabib is away from the octagon and many other factors. After all, MMA is not video game,” “Carlao” concluded.