Khabib Nurmagomedov or Jon Jones - Dana White reveals who the GOAT of the UFC is
UFC president Dana White has revealed that he considers Jon Jones as the greatest fighter in the promotion's history. However, White also said that he believes Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently the best fighter in the UFC.
In a recent conversation with TMZ Sports, White claimed that while Jones is the greatest fighter of all time to have graced the octagon, Nurmagomedov is currently the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now.
Khabib Nurmagomedov took on Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254 in October last year. The Russian dominantly bested Gaethje, successfully making his third title defense. Although Nurmagomedov retired after the fight, he was named the #1 men's pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.
Since Khabib Nurmagomedov dethroned Jon Jones at the top of the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings list in 2020, there has been a lot of debate on who the greatest fighter of all time truly is. While Nurmagomedov is undefeated in the MMA with a perfect 29-0 record, Jones ruled the light heavyweight division for years and has just one DQ loss in his entire career - in a fight he was dominant in.
Jon Jones fought Dominick Reyes back in February last year in a closely contested bout that the former clinched via decision at the end of five hard-fought rounds. In terms of recent performances, though Jones has managed to get his hand raised, he failed to dominate his opponents.
On the other hand, Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to be getting better with every fight. Gaethje was being pitted as the toughest matchup in the UFC for The Eagle but Nurmagomedov outclassed him, dominated him, and then put him to sleep with a triangle choke.
Also Read: How Much Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Earn?
Jon Jones is set to begin a new chapter at heavyweight
Having said that, Jon Jones isn't done writing his legacy yet. After ruling the light heavyweight division for years, Jones is now moving to heavyweight in the search for a second title. Khabib Nurmagomedov is unlikely to ever fight again. If Jon Jones manages to win the heavyweight title, he will find himself back at the top of the UFC men's pound-for-pound list.
Along with that, Jones will also go down in history as the greatest fighter ever to set foot inside the octagon. However, Jones' last couple of fights weren't exactly a treat to the eye. Jones took a lot of damage in the fights against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.
Taking that kind of damage from the likes of Francis Ngannou could even shorten his career. While Jones has the chance to etch his name in history as the greatest fighter ever, he must be careful to not let his stint at heavyweight tarnish his already cemented legacy as one of the greatest fighters on the planet.
Also Read: What is Dana White's Salary?