Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic and 4 other GOAT vs. GOAT fights in the UFC
UFC 309 just wrapped up this weekend, with its headline bout of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic transpiring as many had predicted. The reigning heavyweight champion proved to be too much for his aging foe, whose 42 years of age and three years away from the octagon did him no favor.
Ahead of the matchup, it was billed as a GOAT vs. GOAT spectacle, with Jones being widely regarded as the greatest fighter of all time, while Miocic is considered the sport's greatest-ever heavyweight. Unfortunately, Miocic hadn't fought in three years and was knocked out in his previous outing against Francis Ngannou.
But what of the other GOAT vs. GOAT bouts the promotion previously featured? How did they transpire?
#5. Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey, UFC 207
No one has a stronger claim to being the greatest women's fighter ever than Amanda Nunes. Her championship wins, high finishing rate, and the amount of fellow UFC champions she's beaten are all incomparable feats. She is also one of the few GOATs to have faced a fellow all-time great.
Check out Amanda Nunes TKO'ing Ronda Rousey below:
Enter Ronda Rousey, who was once hailed as the greatest female fighter ever. Not only did she previously hold the record for the most UFC title defenses in the women's divisions, but she put women's MMA on the map and conquered nearly every foe in a manner reminiscent of Mike Tyson in his prime.
However, when she and Nunes locked horns, it was as lopsided as a fight could be. Nunes blasted her from pillar to post from start to finish. After just 48 seconds, referee Herb Dean had seen enough of a rocked 'Rowdy' stumbling across the octagon and waved the fight off.
#4. Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo 2, UFC 227
Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo had faced each other before, but their first outing was short-lived, with 'Mighty Mouse' TKO'ing Cejudo within a round. After all, Johnson is the greatest flyweight of all time and the arguable GOAT of the sport, with the most consecutive title defenses in the promotion's history.
Check out clips from Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo 2 below:
Cejudo, by contrast, went on to carve a legacy as one of MMA's greatest-ever fighters, often proclaiming himself the greatest combat sports athlete of all time due to being an Olympic gold medalist and former two-division UFC champion. His first taste of UFC gold came at UFC 227.
He and Johnson locked horns in a far more competitive rematch that saw both men drag each other to the brink. After five rounds, Cejudo won via a controversial split decision and went on to defeat several more champions.
#3. José Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 237
Despite the phenomenal talent that's emerged from the featherweight division, no one has yet matched the title defense record that José Aldo set. One of the worthiest challengers to that feat, though, was Alexander Volkanovski, who faced 'Scarface' at UFC 237 before ascending to championship status.
Check out highlights of José Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski below:
It was a battle of the GOAT vs. a future all-time great. It was a strong performance from Volkanovski, who used a combination of cage wrestling and endless output to overwhelm Aldo's decision-making process, trapping the legendary Brazilian in a defense shell.
Rendered toothless, Aldo lost via unanimous decision after three rounds. Thereafter, 'The Great' dethroned Max Holloway for the featherweight title, beginning the Volkanovski era at featherweight.
#2. Georges St-Pierre vs. B.J. Penn 2, UFC 94
Despite Dana White's recent claims about Kamaru Usman, there is little doubt over who the greatest welterweight ever is. Georges St-Pierre has more title defenses than anyone in the weight class and is part of the rare class of double champions. At UFC 94, he faced the promotion's first two-division champion.
Check out highlights from Georges St-Pierre vs. B.J. Penn 2 below:
B.J. Penn never held lightweight and welterweight gold simultaneously, but he has on separate occasions. The second time he faced 'GSP' was his final attempt at recapturing welterweight glory. Their first fight was highly competitive, but their rematch was a complete washout.
Penn, who has been described as the greatest fighter ever by several prominent MMA figures, had absolutely nothing for 'GSP' in their rematch. He was dominated and beaten to the point of his corner stopping the fight.
#1. Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, UFC 309
Jon Jones has no shortage of accolades. He has more title wins than anyone in the promotion. He has more title wins than even the great Khabib Nurmagomedov has wins, title and non-title, in the promotion. For his first title defense, he took on heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic.
Check out highlights from Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic below:
Miocic holds the record for the most title defenses in the weight class and has beaten several divisional greats like Daniel Cormier twice, Francis Ngannou, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and Fabricio Werdum. Unfortunately, he was not the Miocic of old when he faced Jones. He was just old.
At 42 and with three years of inactivity, he looked slow and gun-shy. Jones outwrestled him and handed him a crushing beating before a brutal spinning back-kick to the body folded Miocic in round three.