All Time GOAT poll

[JoeRowe]

Hairline ÷ (size × KOs) - decisions = GOAT

 

[OneOfOne]

What is your metric for "length of reign" though? Is it solely time... so Conor's two years of boxing and paternity leave while holding the LW belt are equal to BJ's two years? Or is it title defenses? So DJ is above GSP?

DJ may have a couple more title defenses but GSP has 19 top 10 wins compared to DJ's 14. Plus you could argue GSP reigned over a stronger division. Plus GSP was a double champ.

But either way DJ has the accomplishments to at least compare him to GSP. Someone like Khabib doesn't have the top 10 wins, the titles, or the longevity to compare him to those guys.

 

[Dr. Rose]

I’m not certain there is a specific goat, but maybe a goat for each weightclass. Maybe a Mt. Rushmore of goats for each era.

2001 - 2010: Fedor, GSP, Silva, Aldo
2011 - 2020: Jones, MM, Khabib, DC
2021 - Now: Volk, Izzy, Cejudo, Usman

Nice list and I agree with your overall strategy. One flaw, however, Cejudo last fought was May 9, 2020.

 

[Dr. Rose]

-never tapped to strikes
-never been koed or submitted

So Khabib?

 

[Taric]

What is your metric for "length of reign" though? Is it solely time... so Conor's two years of boxing and paternity leave while holding the LW belt are equal to BJ's two years? Or is it title defenses?

if a fighter was #1 the longest, and had the most wins as #1, how can anybody else be ranked ahead of them.

Why are you asking questions to something I said in the very thing you quoted.

So DJ is above GSP?

Cross division GOAT discussions are silly.

GSP didn't fight outside of his division. Attempting to compare him to fighters outside of that division is illogical.

 

[m249viking]

My criteria is a little unorthodox

-Height
-How much weight they can bench
-Hairline level
-Wife/GF Dimeness
-How many social media followers
-Sick tatty
-Own Brand
-Nice & Flowy

As good or better than most.

 

[m249viking]

DJ may have a couple more title defenses but GSP has 19 top 10 wins compared to DJ's 14. Plus you could argue GSP reigned over a stronger division. Plus GSP was a double champ.

But either way DJ has the accomplishments to at least compare him to GSP. Someone like Khabib doesn't have the top 10 wins, the titles, or the longevity to compare him to those guys.

And people wanted to see GSP's fights.

 

[the ambush]

2. SKILLSET. This is probably harder for casuals or those who never trained, but yeah. Jones, Fedor, GSP, Khabib all at the top IMO. DJ and Alex probably probably damn close. I believe 2004 Fedor beats any human being in an OW fight. I don't see anyone beating a human with Khabib's qualities if they were the same size. The Jones that headkicked DC makes even top fighters melt. If he wasn’t on the sidelines then he could have taken the HW belt back when it meant more. GSP's skillset is at the top in that he had no weaknesses, but I also include destructive ability as a part of that so it detracts a tad considering his more conservative style.

I do not agree with Jones individual skill as one of his key assets. I describe Jones own success at LHW with his physical strength, size, corner strategy and intelligence. Jackson was in Jones corner formulating an effective strategy and game plan every bout. In-ring intelligence would be the same thing as fight IQ. Skill for skill I always believed a fighter like Machida or Rampage was on par with him.

What made the difference in those Championship fights was the things I mentioned in bold

 

[noc]

Tripp threw Gracie to the canvas by Uchi Mata in 47 seconds, thus giving Tripp absolute victory under FIAS International Sambo rules, Rickson disputed this loss, claiming he was misinformed of the rules of the event, despite claiming to be a two-time Pan American Sambo champion

That's a bs lost.. doesn't matter. You have to beat Rickson in MMA

 

[TheTickG]

This is NOT an argument about who the GOAT is / there's 800 other threads about that. This is solely about what your personal criteria are, as I've noticed a variety of emphases throughout these threads.

Mine, in order of importance:

1. WHAT THEY RULED OVER. Fedor's greatest strength was a decade of dominance as an undersized HW ruling over HW's absolute golden age (2003-2009). Jon in close 2nd ruling (when active) a decade of LHW during its second-best phase (2011-2020). Khabib/GSP/Andy are all close IMO, based on combining their length with the strength of their division (Khabib only 2 years but over the arguably greatest period of the greatest division ever, GSP 5 years over a strong WW, Andy 6 years over a weak MW). DJ being beneath those three, despite having a bunch of defenses, in that he was ruling over a very weak division.

2. SKILLSET. This is probably harder for casuals or those who never trained, but yeah. Jones, Fedor, GSP, Khabib all at the top IMO. DJ and Alex probably probably damn close. I believe 2004 Fedor beats any human being in an OW fight. I don't see anyone beating a human with Khabib's qualities if they were the same size. The Jones that headkicked DC makes even top fighters melt. If he wasn’t on the sidelines then he could have taken the HW belt back when it meant more. GSP's skillset is at the top in that he had no weaknesses, but I also include destructive ability as a part of that so it detracts a tad considering his more conservative style.

3. DOMINANCE. Khabib tops this list as most can agree, solely based on number of 10-8s, never being hurt, steamrolling everyone, etc. For years Fedor and Andy were untouchable... until they weren't. Jones has longevity but three controversial decision wins sprinkled in. GSP has the most consistency mixed with longevity: 10-9s galore, depending on how you feel about that.

OUTSIDE MY TOP THREE CONSIDERATIONS:

A. # OF TITLE DEFENSES. This is what started this thread… go to the other 800 threads to argue how much you value these. The most obvious detraction of Khabib in particular. A simple metric, but one very rarely applied consistently. For example, when people hammer this as the most important metric but then ALSO don’t list DJ in their top 5 I chuckle a bit. Plus, in a bullshit WME world where careers are beyond doctored and meritocracy doesn’t exist… how much are title defenses truly indicative of greatness? You guys do realize if Jon hadn’t come along to correct HW then Gane could have been declared champ and defended vs the Lewises and Tais of the world, right?

B. ASTERISKS/MISC. GSP’s streak of not finishing / getting TDs to seal 10-9s in the last 10 seconds of a round with Greg Jackson in his corner, etc. Andy and Jon being on steroids. Fedor not being in the UFC for people that think KOing Tim and Andrei is only valid while you're wearing condom depot shorts. Jon being directly aided and abetted to use steroids by a multi-billion dollar corrupt organization. If Conor ever actually achieved GOAT level (obviously he didn’t in anything other than PPV sales) I would put him having Herb “fight fixin” Dean as a ref to literally every fight after 2016 as a definite asterisk. Aside from that, also the double champ thing. How high does Cejudo go up having two belts despite winning FLW off DJ in a SD? Do you consider DC higher OW compared to Stipe solely because of the double belt thing? The interesting thing about this asterisk category is many people make this mandatory: mandatory elimination if roids OR mandatory requirement for double belts for example. If you make it mandatory, I guess that particular asterisk becomes #1 for you, right?

Anyway, what are your top 3 considerations? Curious to see how many differences (or similarities) there are across the board from posters here.

Don't repeatedly pop for illegal substances.

 

[pankrat]

This is NOT an argument about who the GOAT is

1. WHAT THEY RULED OVER. GSP 5 years over a strong WW, Andy 6 years over a weak MW). .

The bias / ignorance is strong with this retarded assumption.

If it wasnt retarded enough to pretend there was such a signficant difference in caliber of competition at the top between two weightclasses next to each other under the same banner in the same time frame...

The allegedly "weak contender" Maia outclassed the perennial #2 of the allegedly "strong" division Fitch in his own game.

BTW, a main crtieria you didnt mention is who remained as #1 p4p for longer. Pretty strong criteria I'd say. Which btw further evidences how much of a BS assumption about "strong/weak" divisions you made up:

- Official sherdog p4p rankings during GSP championship years:

2012 - Silva #1
https://www.sherdog.com/news/rankings/Sherdogcoms-PoundforPound-Top-10-45047

2011 - Silva #1
https://www.sherdog.com/news/rankings/Sherdogcoms-PoundforPound-Top-10-36383

2010 - Silva #1
https://www.sherdog.com/news/rankings/Sherdogcoms-PoundforPound-Top-10-23166

2009 - Silva #1
https://www.sherdog.com/news/rankings/Sherdogcoms-PoundforPound-Top-10-17145

2008 - Silva #1
https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/GSP-Moves-Up-P4P-List-But-Not-to-Top-12459

 

[GSPenn1991]

Just who I think the best fighter is,

Khabib.

Retiring young doesn't change that he was the best ever is in his prime.

I saw him dominate everyone including some of the best LW's ever in their prime without getting scatched while having more moment to moment dominance than anyone.

If that wasn't enough his beat up guys in the gym like Islam, Usman and Umar are now taking over the sport pound for pound and he was coach of the year.

Na Rousey won fights in 30 seconds average in her prime.

 

[GSPenn1991]

Becoming champ in UFC or Pride
Strength of schedule
# of top 10 wins
# of title defenses
Longevity

Those are my main criteria.

I don’t personally get listing dominance as a separate category.

It’s appreciated but it has to be against a strong strength of schedule, against many top 10 fighters, or preferably title challengers or reigning champ to factor in imo.

Thats not your criteria. That is the criteria lol. It has always been and always will be.

 

[Hdfi]

It's a combination of many things but if I had to pick just 3 criteria it would be:
1) Number of consecutive title defenses.
2) Number of Top 10 wins (ranked by FightMatrix, Sherdog, etc.).
3) win/loss ratio.

 

[cheesus]

1) Titles / defenses
2) Names on resume / top 10 wins
3) Fighting at multiple weight classes

Dominance isn't a high priority, obviously important but I can forgive a guy who's got a few losses from continually fighting larger opposition.

 

[Royce's Gi]

Criteria

-Eyecolor
-Size of Feet
-If Thick, Solid, Tight
-Will salute other Pigeons
-Political career
-Type of Hairdo
-Can Dance, Otherwise no Friend of Mine
-Met BJ at the Airport
-Is an Apocalyptic Fighter
-Likes More Birds
-In Rampageses words, Young Man
-Plays with their toes n shit
-Huge like Okami

 

[Vegesus44]

Ol' MM flying armbarred a Mofo, in a title defense!.
I dont know what else you cunts want...

 

[WOLVERINEKILLS]

Nice list and I agree with your overall strategy. One flaw, however, Cejudo last fought was May 9, 2020.

That will change in a few weeks - Trip C fought nearly on the cut off for this and will be one of the fighters who could be on the list for either era.

 

[Marko Atanasovik]

CV, title defenses, duration on the top, dominance, skill set.

 

[NationWideNinja]

- Dominance
- Longevity at the top
- Quality of opponents

Longevity is the difference between a Cejudo/Khabib and a Fedor/Jones. Being dominant and capturing the belt and defending once or twice is great, but its a big difference when you can keep that dominance and keep that throne for years (in Jones and Fedor case a decade) while fighting nothing but elite opponent who are all gunning for you and specifically gameplanning to beat your style.