Count Robert Whittaker amongst those who believe Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of, if not the, best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Khabib, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, is currently ranked #2 on the UFC’s pound-for-pound list but the undefeated Dagestani (28-0) believes he should be #1, a position currently held by light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones.

Nurmagomedov has dominated almost all his opponents inside the cage and, speaking to MMA Fighting ahead of UFC 243, ‘The Reaper’ said he is a huge fan of Khabib and believes the Russian is ‘unstoppable’.

“I’m a huge fan of Khabib,” Whittaker said ahead of Saturday’s interim middleweight title bout versus Israel Adesanya. “I think he’s phenomenal, honestly. I think what he does is crazy. I think his skillset is amazing. I think his cardio and his endurance is ridiculous. I think he’s amazing, I’m a huge fan.

“What I like about him more than anything is, for one, he’s a straight character, I really admire and respect that. And two, everybody knows what he’s going to do—every single person—and no one can stop him. I think that’s phenomenal.”

Khabib’s most recent title defense came in the form of a submission victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 241, and the 31-year-old is expected to return to the cage in the new year.

UFC 243, which features Whittaker vs. Adesanya as the main event, takes place this Saturday, October 5 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.