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In my opinion it is:
1) Volkanovski
2) Adesanya
3) Nurmagomedov
4) Usman
5) Yan
Volkanovski has defeated Holloway x2, Aldo and Mendes; beating Holloway once is impressive, but twice? No other champion has defeated a fighter as skilled as Holloway.
Adesanya has sky-rocketed since he entered the UFC; defeated experienced fighters like Brunson, Silva and Tavares; destroyed elite fighters such as Whittaker and Costa and made it look easy; he then had an impressive interim title win and outlasted Gastelum. Adesanya also defeated Romero, in spite of the lackluster fight, it was a successful title defense.
Nurmagomedov's biggest wins are, of course, against McGregor and Poirier; the two were at the top of the weight class and in their primes when Nurmagomedov defeated them. He has also defeated Johnson, Barboza and Iaquinta. He has another title defense upcoming against Gaethje, a win against Gaethje could elevate him into the second spot, but Adesanya's streak is really tough to beat.
Usman's case is not his fault, he has defeated most fighters who are out of their prime; Woodley, RDA and Maia; although he has two of his biggest wins against Masvidal and Maia. Usman also has Leon Edwards in his win column, which has aged very well; Edwards is now a contender for the belt, and arguably second best at WW - I believe so, anyway - and a rematch will likely happen next year.
Yan at five is reasonable, especially if he defeats Sterling. He had his biggest win against Aldo; albeit coming off of a loss, he looked impressive and gave Yan a fight, pressure and pace have never went well with Aldo; otherwise, he would be nearly unstoppable. He has wins over Rivera and Faber under his belt, which are good, but not great wins. Although, Aldo is one of the most skilled fighters that have ever fought in the UFC.
Thoughts?
1) Volkanovski
2) Adesanya
3) Nurmagomedov
4) Usman
5) Yan
Volkanovski has defeated Holloway x2, Aldo and Mendes; beating Holloway once is impressive, but twice? No other champion has defeated a fighter as skilled as Holloway.
Adesanya has sky-rocketed since he entered the UFC; defeated experienced fighters like Brunson, Silva and Tavares; destroyed elite fighters such as Whittaker and Costa and made it look easy; he then had an impressive interim title win and outlasted Gastelum. Adesanya also defeated Romero, in spite of the lackluster fight, it was a successful title defense.
Nurmagomedov's biggest wins are, of course, against McGregor and Poirier; the two were at the top of the weight class and in their primes when Nurmagomedov defeated them. He has also defeated Johnson, Barboza and Iaquinta. He has another title defense upcoming against Gaethje, a win against Gaethje could elevate him into the second spot, but Adesanya's streak is really tough to beat.
Usman's case is not his fault, he has defeated most fighters who are out of their prime; Woodley, RDA and Maia; although he has two of his biggest wins against Masvidal and Maia. Usman also has Leon Edwards in his win column, which has aged very well; Edwards is now a contender for the belt, and arguably second best at WW - I believe so, anyway - and a rematch will likely happen next year.
Yan at five is reasonable, especially if he defeats Sterling. He had his biggest win against Aldo; albeit coming off of a loss, he looked impressive and gave Yan a fight, pressure and pace have never went well with Aldo; otherwise, he would be nearly unstoppable. He has wins over Rivera and Faber under his belt, which are good, but not great wins. Although, Aldo is one of the most skilled fighters that have ever fought in the UFC.
Thoughts?
