"The best MMA fighter I saw" - Anderson Silva names his G.O.A.T ahead of Jake Paul fight, and it's neither Jon Jones, 'GSP' nor Khabib Nurmagomedov
Anderson Silva recently revealed who he believes is the greatest UFC fighter of all time.
Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Silva himself are the usual candidates when it comes to the never-ending debate of who the MMA GOAT is. However, Silva went with none of the above for his GOAT selection.
As far as 'The Spider' is concerned, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn is the greatest to ever do it. During an interview with Helen Yee Sports, the UFC legend stated:
"So I think BJ Penn is the best MMA fighter I saw fight in my entire life. I'm a big fan [of] BJ Penn."
Watch Anderson Silva's interview below:
Often overlooked by modern MMA fans, Penn reigned as the UFC lightweight champion from 2008 to 2010. He also briefly held the welterweight belt in 2004, but later relinquished it when he left the UFC.
Penn's career has been capstoned by his classic fights with Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, and Georges St-Pierre. Unfortunately, his legacy was marred by a seven-fight losing streak that he suffered during the twilight of his career. Penn was last seen in the cage against Clay Guida at UFC 237 in 2019.
As for Silva, the legendary Brazilian fighter is still making waves in the combat sports world. 'The Spider' will face YouTube star Jake Paul in a boxing match on October 29 inside the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Check out the post below:
Anderson Silva reveals who joins BJ Penn in his UFC Mount Rushmore
During a previous interview with GiveMeSport, Anderson Silva was asked who would be on his Mount Rushmore of the four greatest MMA fighters of all time.
According to 'The Spider,' his list consists of the aforementioned Penn, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Royce Gracie, and Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira in his top-four of all time.
"Well, there’s lots of different fighters I respect, but if we’re talking about the best, I would say BJ Penn. What the guy did, he’s amazing, what he did for the sport. Khabib is a beast, he’s so amazing. He changed, how you say, his wrestling, his pressure, how he fight, he changed the game. I would also say Royce Gracie – he started everything. Without him there would be nothing. None of this, no UFC, nothing. My best friend ‘Minotauro’ as well. He’s my master. He gave me my black belt in jiu-jitsu."