GOAT criteria

What's the most important factor?

  • Total voters
    144
Edmond's Accountant said:
I'd add legacy to the mix too. When I picture "the greatest of all time" I picture someone with a mystique whose achievements reached outside of the sport and had a long-term impact, and while mainstream popularity isn't a factor, I feel it waters down the "GOAT" moniker by giving it to someone the fans don't care for.

I also place some weight on a fighter's pre-prime losses. Losing on the regional level is forgivable since fighters are starting out, as are losses against the elite fighters, but there's something about those early UFC/ top level promotion losses that sticks with people. For me it's hard to buy Stipe as the greatest heavyweight of all time when he has an embarassing loss to Struve, or Local Woman getting stopped by the world's softest GnP against Alexis Davis.

The best example of this is Ayrton Senna in Formula 1. Even though there were drivers who had more wins and won more titles then Senna, Senna had a mystique that transitioned to the mainstream. He was as much an icon as he was a good driver, and because of it most rate him as the greatest over guys like Schumacher, Prost, Fangio etc. (although personally I'd choose Fangio because of how high-risk his era was.
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I agree with every thing.
 
1. PED free during USADA era in their prime
2. amount of huge wins against prime quality fighters
3. amount of devastating losses in their prime against fighters of the same weightclass or who are even smaller in size
4. finishing rate against top 5
5. length of reign against prime quality fighters
6. overal win-loss record, close decision matches excluded
7. win-loss record against prime quality fighters of a higher weightclass
8. title defenses
9. PED free during USADA era after their prime
10. PED free before USADA era

So I will pick for now Anderson Silva, but it will be Khabib if he beats Gaetje and quits
 
Close tie between Competition, title defenses, and dominance. Dominance leading by 1 vote.
 
You absolutely cannot be a steroid cheat. Other than that, strength of competition and to beat everyone they put in front of you. So, in other words, GSP.
 
Strength of competition, dominance, and title defenses for me. Matters who you beat, how you beat them, and how many times you keep winning when you were the one with the target on your back. Multi-division champion means little to me in terms of being GOAT, unless you’re able to maintain your top standing in two divisions over an extended period of time while defending both titles numerous times.
 
Jones fits everything on the GOAT criteria.
 
DanAndroid said:
The GOAT isn't an average man you goof.
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Thats not the point you goof.. It just means that the strength of competition is higher at lower weight classes. Why do you think 170 and 155 are the most popular weight classes?
 
I think they all combine. Some of that criteria comes with the territory, if you're gonna be a long time champ then it's very likely you're gonna have the strength of competition defending the belt but also leading up to it, and the long win streak. Multi divisional success is just a bonus or deciding factor when you have two guys who are close.

Also, the criteria can change over time. Multi divisional success is becoming more and more a focus today in MMA. So that may weigh heavier in the future.
 
GangGangGang said:
Thats not the point you goof.. It just means that the strength of competition is higher at lower weight classes. Why do you think 170 and 155 are the most popular weight classes?
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The amount of people in a weight class doesn't have fuck all to do with who is the GOAT. Increased fighters in a division also means increased mediocre fighters. The GOAT has to come from the HW-MW divisions period. I might slide on 170, but 155 is laughable. The GOAT should be the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Size Matters
 
Conor 2.0 laid it out pretty well.

Taking risks>playing it safe
Finishing fights>playing it safe
Winning fights at higher weigtclass>Winning fights at lower weightclass
Breaking Records > Winning streaks
Raising the bar > Holding it down

The clear top 3 Goats of the sport are:

1. Conor Mcgregor (Nobody even knew about MMA before he made it popular, first ever Double Champ)
2. Anderson Silva (Literally unbeatable untill age caught up to him)
3. Jon Jones (Best resume ever but does not look as dominant as the two before him)
 
DanAndroid said:
The amount of people in a weight class doesn't have fuck all to do with who is the GOAT. Increased fighters in a division also means increased mediocre fighters. The GOAT has to come from the HW-MW divisions period. I might slide on 170, but 155 is laughable. The GOAT should be the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Size Matters
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Funny you say 185 to HW when GSP is the one leading the GOAT poll.
 
Title defenses. If you're constantly defending the title then you'll have to be fighting the best in your division regularly. You can't pick and choose if you're regularly defending
 
Melas Chasma said:
So is Hendo the GOAT? Strength of competition on itself doesn't mean anything.
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It means a lot, for example khabib, his wins over conor and dustin alone rival the 155 goats, strength of competition meand a lot, there's a difference in winning gold at little legues or the olympics
 
PLZ say Fedor is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you pick a real fighter you might get fucked BAD
 
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