All Time GOAT poll

[Mike]

Why is there not Khabib? Breinfahrt?

He isn't a goat candidate yet.

 

[Mike]

He tapped to an armbar against Hughes, which is ten times worse than tapping to strikes. Any doctor will tell you head strikes are much more dangerous and have far worse long term consequences than a broken arm.

I don't get why people call GSP on tapping to strikes but give him a pass on tapping to an armbar -- it suggests they have no medical knowledge. Talk to a doctor, you'll soon learn you have it backwards.

Anyone who thinks tapping to strikes is worse needs a remedial course in medicine.

A lot of mma fans just aren't that bright.

 

[ThunderStruck]

There's something about Jones dominating 5 former UFC champions (finishing 4 of them) that just makes GSP's 7 consecutive decision streak even weaker.
And let's not forget Jones easily finished Ryan Bader giving him his first career loss after he had just won TUF. GSP on the other hand got TKO'd in his first title defense by Matt Serra right after he had won TUF. Don't get me wrong though. I don't think Jones is the GOAT either.

Beating former champs is the most overrated thing in mma. Beating number 1 contender is way better.

 

[OxSxM]

Jones is the all time GOAT.

 

[JPM1223]

Jones is the all time GOAT.

AT CHEATING?! AND failed PED TESTS?! GTFO of here

 

[Make Sherdog Great Again]

Khabib only has 1 title defense. He could get there. All of the other guys on the list have defended their titles 7 - 11 times. People are too concerned with 'what have you done for me lately?'.

2 more title defences and Khabib will have equalled Fedor.

 

[GrayArea]

Beating former champs is the most overrated thing in mma. Beating number 1 contender is way better.

That’s why Jones is on another level from everyone else. Because he has beaten so many number one contenders plus former champions.

 

[ThunderStruck]

That’s why Jones is on another level from everyone else. Because he has beaten so many number one contenders plus former champions.

Number one contenders in the weakest division in the sport. So weak he has defended more times against middleweights moving up than anything.

 

[JustBleed69]

The GOAT almost at 1000!!

{<Mcgoat}

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

why put yourself in that position though

If you mean why put yourself into the position of serious neurological damage or a broken arm by not tapping, I agree -- it makes far more sense to tap and train to do better in your next fight.

Losing before getting CTE or a broken arm is simply smarter than losing after getting CTE or a broken arm. Its why armies tell their soldiers that there's nothing wrong with surrendering when there's no point in continuing to fight.

 

[Regius]

That’s why Jones is on another level from everyone else. Because he has beaten so many number one contenders plus former champions.

Ironically he has done it in one of the most dead divisions in the MMA yet GSP has more top 5 wins and wins against former UFC champions than him .

 

[Mike]

Wow exactly 1k votes for gsp. The people have certainly spoken. Substance won out over style. Sorry Silva fans

 

[Bouboumaster]

The GOAT is crowned.

 

[Adnan Adil]

All the guys in the poll have exciting fights. All the guys are great fighters. All the guys are great persons. I personally believe that MMA is constantly evolving and it is hard to match fighters from different times.

 

[TUFNewb]

jones is exciting as was Silva but both marked by their being flagfed by usada.

Jones is not even very exciting tbh. Smith, OSP, DC 1, Glover, Shad were all uneventful fights. He has a very methodical style and goes on cruise control when he is not pushed.

 

[TUFNewb]

not a fan but, he has moments. I'd argue GSP but if your metric for goat status is excitement, you eliminate him. furthermore, he ducked Silva and cherry picked a mw fight before not defending. if Max beat Dusty or khabib I'd argue him then. I guess DC. i hope dc clobbers jon at hw.

Silva ducked Jones and Shogun, and Jones ducked Sonnen on short notice and is ducking HW and choosing to cherry pick opponents like Smith and Santos. Fedor ducked Reem and the UFC. All fighters do a bit of ducking eventually, they have their reasons and it is not just "cowardice". Not really a factor in determining who is the best fighter imo, unless it is a blatant duck of a contender in their own division when they have the responsibility of defending a belt.

 

[Fugazy]

MMA is not a sport.

mma is sport ENTERTAINMENT imo

CM punk was allow to fight in the UFC.

I challenge you to mention a legit sport that allows individuals with 0 experience be part of a professional game?

WNBA

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

not a fan but, he has moments. I'd argue GSP but if your metric for goat status is excitement, you eliminate him. furthermore, he ducked Silva and cherry picked a mw fight before not defending. if Max beat Dusty or khabib I'd argue him then. I guess DC. i hope dc clobbers jon at hw.

The problem with using excitement as a metric is that its completely subjective. Some people find rock exciting and find opera boring, others find the reverse. Same for beer/wine, action movies/drama and so on.

Basically some people preferred GSP's fights, other people preferred Fedor's fights, others preferred Anderson's, others preferred Jones'. Its too subjective to be useful as a metric.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

but didn't uou dismiss jon cause of boredom? i think gsp has to be with no tainted usada flagging. Fedor would have been but no ufc and obliterated by a natural mw. i think DC has claim.

You must be thinking of someone else, I never said Jones (or any top fighter) was boring -- my opinion is that I can learn something watching anyone at that level, and learning is never boring. Moreover, being excellent at what you do is never boring -- fans in most sports recognize that, which is why even purely defensive players (like baseball pitchers whose sole job is to shut the other side down, the ultimate baseball equivalent of lay and pray) often have huge numbers of fans.

I've consistently said that my top four fighters are (in no particular order): Anderson, Fedor, GSP and Jones -- which one I think is the absolute top will vary from day to day, but its always one of those four.

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

Nobody mentioned Roy Nelson ?
Much salt in this thread.