“He’s gonna strangle him”: Dana White mocks chances of LeBron James and Jake Paul against prime Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dana White, the UFC president, did not hold back when asked about how athletes from other sports would perform against Khabib Nurmagomedov in his prime. Speaking in September 2025, during the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight week, White was clear: nobody outside of MMA would stand a real chance. Khabib retired undefeated at 29-0 in 2020, and White said his wrestling would overwhelm stars like LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Jake Paul in a matter of seconds.When the topic of LeBron Raymone James came up, White laughed off the idea that the NBA legend could hold his own against the former UFC champion. He said it wouldn’t take long before Khabib dragged him down and ended the fight. “Not long. I don’t know. Ten seconds [against James as well]. He’s gonna get him, and he’s gonna strangle him or rip his arm off,” White told Overtime.He also mentioned Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green in the same breath. White explained that physical size or strength would not matter once Khabib imposed his wrestling game. According to him, both James and Green would be helpless once “The Eagle” grabbed hold of them.Joe Rogan Fiercely Calls On Dana White To Protect Fighters With New UFC RulesWhen asked about Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, White gave a slightly longer survival window. He admitted that Paul’s background in wrestling and his recent boxing career at least put him ahead of LeBron James. Still, he was sure the outcome would be quick.“That’s interesting because he is a very athletic, talented kid, but not long,” White explained. “I’ll give Jake 25 seconds. It’s better than LeBron. Jake actually fights, but it doesn’t last long.”Even with more experience in combat sports, White insisted Jake Paul would not last more than half a minute with Khabib. For him, the gap between an elite mixed martial artist like Nurmagomedov and athletes from other fields remains massive.