Building the perfect MMA GOAT from 5 UFC fighters
The UFC has fielded more candidates for MMA's coveted GOAT' throne than any other promotion. In the past, Anderson Silva dominated the conversation, before the emergence of Jon Jones cast a shadow on 'The Spider's' accomplishments in the UFC.
Georges St-Pierre, another all-time great, also authored a legacy that was the envy of others. Yet, despite the greatness of the aforementioned three, they were not perfect fighters. They had holes. Silva's wrestling was nothing to marvel at, Jones' boxing is still poor, and GSP's finishing ability is lacking.
To create the perfect fighter, the true hypothetical GOAT who is a master and gifted in every area, more is needed.
#5. Wrestling: Daniel Cormier, ex-UFC two-division champion
While there have been more credentialed wrestlers than Daniel Cormier, like Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo and three-time NCAA Division I champion Bo Nickal, none have translated their freestyle wrestling skills to MMA as seamlessly as 'DC' has. There hasn't been anyone he couldn't take down, even Jon Jones.
Moreover, his wrestling toolbox was more varied than anyone's. Whether he's using inside or outside trips in the clinch, double-leg takedowns or single-legs, mat-returns or ankle-picks, no one was as skillful at grounding their opponents as Cormier was.
Check out Daniel Cormier's takedowns:
His high-crotch single-leg slam became a signature move of his, subjecting even fellow Olympian Dan Henderson to it. While the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov drew fame for their wrestling, he lacked 'DC's' skill, especially with his entries, which were often sloppy, with takedowns shot from far out of range.
It is also unlike Jones' wrestling, which depends more on length and height than skill. So, for this hypothetical GOAT's wrestling, Cormier's skills will serve him best.
#4. Brazilian jiu-jitsu: Charles Oliveira, ex-UFC lightweight champion
Charles Oliveira's Brazilian jiu-jitsu is second to none in the UFC, at least in terms of effectiveness. He does, after all, hold the record for the most submission wins in the promotion's history. However, when on the ground, he doesn't fight off his back like his superiority is guaranteed.
Oliveira always searches for optimal positions of control, preferrably the back, securing a body-triangle to control his opponent's posture. From here, he alternates between chokes and joint-locks, using a crossface to create openings for rear-naked chokes.
Check out Charles Oliveira choking out Dustin Poirier:
For his armbars, he controls the wrist and quickly releases his body triangle to throw his legs over his foe. Alternatively, he'll use his submissions as anti-wrestling threats, which is how he submitted Kevin Lee, who shot in with his head positioned on the outside of Oliveira's hip, exposing him to a guillotine.
He is also more varied than anyone else, fully capable of unorthodox submissions like calf slicers. No matter which position the fight is in on the ground, he is a threat unlike any other in the UFC.
#3. Striking: Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson
It is arguable that there has never been a finer striker in the UFC than Stephen Thompson in his prime. While his skill-set has deteriorated with age, he was a phenomenon unlike any other when he was at the peak of his powers. First, he was a specialist in fighting off the backfoot.
He fought from a long range, poking and prodding his foes until they lunged forward out of frustration from missing. In that very instance, 'Wonderboy' exploded forward, combining his momentum with his opponent's to create a collision between his fist and their chin. It was a simple but crushing formula.
Check out Stephen Thompson outstriking Johny Hendricks:
He could also fight on the front foot, pivoting off of angles and unloading combinations on his foe's open side. Even though he fought from a wide, bladed stance with his lead leg exposed, he was difficult to low kick as he'd counter low kicks with a sidekick, knocking his opponent off-balance.
Thompson would catch his opponent with their kicking leg airborne, landing first because a linear strike like a sidekick has a shorter arc than a wider strike like a low kick. Moreover, he was difficult to pressure, as he'd quickly flatten out his stance and shuffle from side to side to circle back into open space.
#2. Ground-and-pound: Khabib Nurmagomedov, ex-UFC lightweight champion
While Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the premier art on the mat, ground-and-pound cannot be understated. There is no better fighter than Khabib Nurmagomedov when it comes to it. His hip pressure was unlike any other, as he kept his opponent pinned under him, doing the same with their arms by using wrist-ties.
Nurmagomedov would seize the wrist, rendering his foe one-armed. At this point, he'd repeatedly batter his opponent with ground-and-pound. He would also raise his hips to step over their guard, then drive his hips down into his punches from up top, landing with tremendous power.
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's ground-and-pound against Conor McGregor:
The expression of 'mauling' became synonymous with the ex-UFC lightweight champion whenever he dragged opponents to the mat. He would also triangle his foe's legs with his own, raising their ankles off the mat, preventing them from threatening him with submissions when he's landing ground strikes.
Ultimately, he'd pin his foe's hand under their own torso, severely compromising them en route to the best ground-and-pound in UFC history.
#1. Athleticism: Tom Aspinall, UFC interim heavyweight champion
It takes more than skill and technique to make a great fighter. Athleticism is another key ingredient, made of several components: toughness, strength, speed, explosiveness, power, and cardio. Tom Aspinall has nearly all. His only question mark is cardio, but only because no one can survive more than two rounds with him.
His toughness is unquestionable, as heavy-handed power-punchers like Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes have both landed clean on his chin to little effect. He has a granite chin, and at heavyweight at that. Furthermore, he is a large fighter with a wealth of physical strength at 6 feet 5 inches in height.
Check out Tom Aspinall's knockout of Sergei Pavlovich:
He has bullied towering giants like Alexander Volkov with supreme ease, but has also exhibited freakish speed, moving like a lightning bolt, catching his foes with shots they never saw coming. Moreover, his movement, which sees him float around the octagon like a welterweight, is more evidence of his speed.
Of course, his power and explosiveness can't be discounted, as he is able to generate maximum force under minimum, knocking out several fighters under a round. To cap it off, this hypothetical GOAT would benefit from Aspinall's athleticism.