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Who is the greatest MMA fighter of all time?


sterling69

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The greatest MMA fighters of all time and why

 

My top three picks

-Jon Jones

-Fedor

-Anderson Silva/GSP

 

If I had to select one, it would be Jon Jones by a long shot.

 

First, I don't think steroids should affect his legacy, as I believe many of his opponents also have been busted for PED's, and it is silly to think most top professional athletes dont juice.

 

Why is JJ the GOAT?

-Youngest champ in history

-Defeated the most UFC champs and former champs and in dominating fashion

-Made Shogun tap to strikes

-Destroyed Vitor Belfor, Chael Sonnen, Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, DCx2, Gus etc (top tier resume)

-Virtually undefeated (illegal elbow fight he was winning)

-Insane fight IQ

-The most well rounded fighter with no weaknesses - deadly on the ground, great ground and pound, accurate striker, good at takedowns, iron chin etc.

-He is still young, and has a few more years to build his already powerful legacy.

 

COVER_5.0.jpg

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His resume is great but I do think some of the names you listed are overrated a bit. Chael sonnen was criminally undersized, Rampage was past his prime, and even though it was TRT vitor he was also undersized.

 

I also completely disagree on the steroids. Sure he most likely faced a bunch of guys that were on the PED's or testosterone but he also faced those who weren't and the 2 main guys who are his greatest and toughest fights/rivals are clean(DC, Gus). He cheated plain and simple I don't care about the rest, he's a cheater and imo there's no room for him to sit atop as the GOAT. I will say he has the most talent of anyone in MMA history but the PED's have killed his case for me.

 

I would say GSP is the greatest of all time. He didn't beat as many former champions but a lot of that comes from him being the champ for so long. His entire generation went title less because of him so there's something to be said about that. The WW division was loaded with killers and he beat them all in convincing fashion except for one. And he avenged both his losses decisively. His resume is the best by far imo. Prime Hughes x2, Prime Penn x2, Prime Koscheck x2, Prime Alves, Prime Fitch, Prime Shields, Prime Condit. That's a lot of guys who are incredibly great fighers and he destroyed them all while they were at they're best. His win over Bisping isn't as huge of a win but a good win and another feather in his cap. Even before the PED's I believed GSP was the GOAT (although Jones would have bested him) but now it's clearer to me than ever that he's the best to ever do it.

 

And if you want to talk skills, then GSP is right up there as well. Insanely great wrestler who bested some of the most decorated and skilled wrestlers of his time. His stand up was very polished and while he isn't as flashy and explosive as Jones he's just as technical. His fight IQ and game planning surpass Jones' imo. GSP wins

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Not in a particular order, but these are the fighters that are in the argument for the 1st,2nd and 3rd places (in my opinion)

-Fedor
-Jon Jones

-GSP

-Anderson Silva

-Mighty Mouse

-Jose Aldo

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I think Anderson, GSP, Jones and Fedor all have a good debate. Jones is the best modern era LHW and he has beaten a lot of legends, however besides Gus and DC, most of those guys where way outside of their prime + he does have the steroids thing against him. Anderson had a really good streak but he lost to the same guy 2x (Weidman), i would not say Weidman was a great fighter. Also people kind of forget that the early part of his career although good was not great, the end of his career sucked balls, but to his credit he had a very good streak in a weak 185lbs division at the time. GSP was very good, but was often boring, his runs were not as impressive as the other 3. My personal favorite is Fedor, he is the guy who got me into MMA (i randomly bumped into one of his fights on free TV), plus if you see who he beat, he litterally destroyed everyone at the time, he was also probably the most versatile (especially for his time) at his prime. He could beat you with stand up power, with GnP or submissions. The only major downside to Fedor is that he never found in the UFC, plus he found pretty much in the pioneer era of MMA.

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His resume is great but I do think some of the names you listed are overrated a bit. Chael sonnen was criminally undersized, Rampage was past his prime, and even though it was TRT vitor he was also undersized.

 

I also completely disagree on the steroids. Sure he most likely faced a bunch of guys that were on the PED's or testosterone but he also faced those who weren't and the 2 main guys who are his greatest and toughest fights/rivals are clean(DC, Gus). He cheated plain and simple I don't care about the rest, he's a cheater and imo there's no room for him to sit atop as the GOAT. I will say he has the most talent of anyone in MMA history but the PED's have killed his case for me.

 

I would say GSP is the greatest of all time. He didn't beat as many former champions but a lot of that comes from him being the champ for so long. His entire generation went title less because of him so there's something to be said about that. The WW division was loaded with killers and he beat them all in convincing fashion except for one. And he avenged both his losses decisively. His resume is the best by far imo. Prime Hughes x2, Prime Penn x2, Prime Koscheck x2, Prime Alves, Prime Fitch, Prime Shields, Prime Condit. That's a lot of guys who are incredibly great fighers and he destroyed them all while they were at they're best. His win over Bisping isn't as huge of a win but a good win and another feather in his cap. Even before the PED's I believed GSP was the GOAT (although Jones would have bested him) but now it's clearer to me than ever that he's the best to ever do it.

 

And if you want to talk skills, then GSP is right up there as well. Insanely great wrestler who bested some of the most decorated and skilled wrestlers of his time. His stand up was very polished and while he isn't as flashy and explosive as Jones he's just as technical. His fight IQ and game planning surpass Jones' imo. GSP wins

 

I pretty much agree with everything said here. My thoughts exactly. I do go back and forth between GSP or Fedor though.

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GSP - a true martial artist that set the standard for modern MMA

Jones - Best fight IQ and physical prowess I have seen since day 1

Fedor - Hey, he is Fedor, Nuff said!

 

and just for sheer violence and what he achieved in the GREAT old days of tournaments

Igor Vovchanchyn.

I cant say I have ever enjoyed watching a fighter even as close to as much as I loved watching Igor. His record is amazing and his fights were sheer entertaining violence. His tournament record is super human and he is the fighter that made me fall in love with NHB/MMA. Maybe the toughest MF'er to ever grace the cage or ring, a kickboxer beating the BJJ and wrestling grapplers

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  • 4 weeks later...

Do you reckon DC would win it? Cos I'd like to see it happen, just wondering how u reckon he might go about that...

I really hope D.C. Doesn't get conned by Dana into fighting Jones again. Jones has him physically, skill wise and most importantly psychologically. Jones owns DC's emotion's and will beat him easier than he did in the first 2 fights which when you look at them clinically he won easily. I hope D.C. Takes the Lesnar fight , wins comfortably and enjoys the respect that he has earned since going back to HW. LHW against Jones a third time will leave him as a footnote in MMA. Just being honest

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  • 3 weeks later...

Cormier would beat Jones at Heavyweight. That's why Jones refused to fight him at heavyweight.

 

Nah. Jones at HW would look like Anthony Johnson at LHW. Jones don't want to fight Cormier at HW because it doesn't do anything for his legacy. For the right paycheck I guarantee he'd gladly go up to HW and attempt to take DC's belt.

 

Not saying DC can't beat Jones, it's the fight game, and if their last fight proved anything (despite the ko loss) is that he can bring it to him and he's not scared of him. DC definitely has the tools. I just think JJ edges it, even at HW I think JJ takes him the majority of the time.

 

 

personal GOAT list, gonna order it in eras for the most part:

 

Bas Rutten

Fedor

GSP

Silva

Jon Jones

DJ

Cyborg (women's MMA)

 

 

His resume is great but I do think some of the names you listed are overrated a bit. Chael sonnen was criminally undersized, Rampage was past his prime, and even though it was TRT vitor he was also undersized.

 

I also completely disagree on the steroids. Sure he most likely faced a bunch of guys that were on the PED's or testosterone but he also faced those who weren't and the 2 main guys who are his greatest and toughest fights/rivals are clean(DC, Gus). He cheated plain and simple I don't care about the rest, he's a cheater and imo there's no room for him to sit atop as the GOAT. I will say he has the most talent of anyone in MMA history but the PED's have killed his case for me.

 

Don't agree with the bold, but I think it's a safe statement to make and many fans would think that's a general consensus.

 

JJ was fed just like Silva was fed (Griffin, Irvin, Bonner). I always was unimpressed with Silva fighting LHW fighters who were at the bottom of the division or on the way out the door, especially during a time when Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson would of been much more entertaining fights.

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Nah. Jones at HW would look like Anthony Johnson at LHW. Jones don't want to fight Cormier at HW because it doesn't do anything for his legacy. For the right paycheck I guarantee he'd gladly go up to HW and attempt to take DC's belt.

 

Not saying DC can't beat Jones, it's the fight game, and if their last fight proved anything (despite the ko loss) is that he can bring it to him and he's not scared of him. DC definitely has the tools. I just think JJ edges it, even at HW I think JJ takes him the majority of the time.

 

 

personal GOAT list, gonna order it in eras for the most part:

 

Bas Rutten

Fedor

GSP

Silva

Jon Jones

DJ

Cyborg (women's MMA)

 

 

 

Don't agree with the bold, but I think it's a safe statement to make and many fans would think that's a general consensus.

 

JJ was fed just like Silva was fed (Griffin, Irvin, Bonner). I always was unimpressed with Silva fighting LHW fighters who were at the bottom of the division or on the way out the door, especially during a time when Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson would of been much more entertaining fights.

Im kind of torn with your comment about JJ. Every time I hear somebody talk about the fighters he fought as though it was murderer row(Rogan does this all the time) it makes me a little mad tbh but to say he was fed is a little too much for me. Silva I can agree with but Jones fought all the top guys that were around. Many werent at their best but I cant really blame him when hes so much younger. He never ducked anyone and the only guy he didnt fight that I feel most of us wanted to see him fight was rumble but we all know why that never happened.

 

If you dont consider him as the most talented who would you give that title to and how close is he? Just genuinely curious about that. I tend to give him that title because he has tremendous all around skill but his size and length are such huge trump cards.

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Im kind of torn with your comment about JJ. Every time I hear somebody talk about the fighters he fought as though it was murderer row(Rogan does this all the time) it makes me a little mad tbh but to say he was fed is a little too much for me. Silva I can agree with but Jones fought all the top guys that were around. Many werent at their best but I cant really blame him when hes so much younger. He never ducked anyone and the only guy he didnt fight that I feel most of us wanted to see him fight was rumble but we all know why that never happened.

 

If you dont consider him as the most talented who would you give that title to and how close is he? Just genuinely curious about that. I tend to give him that title because he has tremendous all around skill but his size and length are such huge trump cards.

 

I'm not saying JJ's entire career was fed, absolutely not, not even close. Same with Silva he is on my GOAT list (closer to the bottom of this bunch, but he's gotta be the MW GOAT). The thing is, JJ was fed at least one fight too. Chael Sonnen for example, arguably MW Vitor. In a similar way that DC was fed Derrick Lewis imo. Fedor fed a bunch of tomatoes... GSP was "fed" a can once, and he got ktfo via head kick lol. Silva made a highlight reel out of some of the cans significantly less talented fighters he was fed. He still beat plenty of legit competition but there was a lot of top MW we never got to see him against (Gegard Mousasi, Hector Lombard...) and feel like JJ is heads and shoulders above Silva's legacy.

 

As far as talent goes... damn, man, tough question, I guess it depends on how we're defining talent. If it aint somebody like DJ, I bet it's a dude we never got to see. JJ's boxing and counter striking aren't his strong suit. DC walked him down with little to no fear of his striking in the 2nd fight. Now as far as one of the most physically gifted fighters in the sport (6'4'' 81 in reach and athletic ability), I'd say he's certainly up there, at least the UFC ranks. Just feel like talented respresents overall skillset, and there is a pretty evident hole in JJ's game, it's just not easy to exploit, where as somebody like DJ imo is just a lot more well rounded, technical, and probably more athletic given his size.

 

Before replying to this comment, wouldn't of said DJ... but when I had to actually think of it and provide a sensible answer, it just kept circling back around to him if we're discussing technique/martial arts/athletic ability combo. If DJ were 6'4 with an 80 in reach...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jones was fighting middleweights his whole career without challenging himself. He is not close to top 10 all time, sorry. Steroids kills it for me, prohibitive drug test after positive drug test. DQ

 

Give him the asterisk but he is easily top 10. I also respect him cuz he fights every contender. JJ has never got on the mic and declined a fight with somebody because their name wasn't big enough or delayed a #1 contender because he campaigned for a money fight. JJ is one of the few UFC champs who hasn't called out McGregor lol... GSP wins MW title and what's his next move? "Er I wants to fight for LW title and face MacGregory!" yeah... let's be real. JJ is a juicer, but he's still top 10 all time.

 

 

You do realize that Fedor was juiced to the fucking gills back in the PRIDE days right? Like the majority of the roster...

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