Greater fighter, Dustin or Conor?

[ExitLUPin]

I just got into a HEATED dispute with a buddy whos more of a casual fan. Def not Sherdogger level MMA IQ but he knows some stuff about MMA. Big Conor fan. He said Dustin is a choker in the biggest fights and Conor will always be better so it got me thinking, who is greater?

Pro-Conor points

- 2 division champ, 3-1 in title fights including interim (Dustin 1-2)
- has the best win of the 2 in Aldo
- clearly better FW than Dustin was at FW

Pro-Dustin points

- faaaaaar deeper resume and much stronger schedule faced
- 2-1 H2H against Conor
- among common opponents (Brandao, Duffy, Max, Eddie, Khabib), Dustin is 5-1-1 while Conor is 3-2
- clearly better LW than Conor was at LW even tho Conor was champ, he did it skipping the line and finishing someone who Dustin also finished

 

[KingBarbozaGOAT]

Overall Conor is better factoring in everything. At their primes I'd also pick Conor to beat Poitier even at 155

 

[MetaIIica]

Conor is much better at beating midgets, while Porier fights guys his size or bigger. Prime Conor lost to NATE DIAZ <45>

 

[Substance Abuse]

Apex, Conor. Just about every other metric, Dustin.

 

[Simple Southerner]

Dustin by leaps and bounds and also 2-1

 

[potatoReloaded]

Dustin, hands down.

 

[Bork Neslar]

Dusty already proved that he's better.

 

[Mongoose]

Easily Dustin is the better fighter, and all around better person let alone fighter.

 

[ncboy]

Dustin easily. Conor cherry picked his opponents and was gifted path to the title. Dustin fights anyone and has a better skillset.

 

[Odoylerules22]

Conor was better at peak. Dustin def was better after

 

[TheTickG]

I just got into a HEATED dispute with a buddy whos more of a casual fan. Def not Sherdogger level MMA IQ but he knows some stuff about MMA. Big Conor fan. He said Dustin is a choker in the biggest fights and Conor will always be better so it got me thinking, who is greater?

Pro-Conor points

- 2 division champ, 3-1 in title fights including interim (Dustin 1-2)
- has the best win of the 2 in Aldo
- clearly better FW than Dustin was at FW

Pro-Dustin points

- faaaaaar deeper resume and much stronger schedule faced
- 2-1 H2H against Conor
- among common opponents (Brandao, Duffy, Max, Eddie, Khabib), Dustin is 5-1-1 while Conor is 3-2
- clearly better LW than Conor was at LW even tho Conor was champ, he did it skipping the line and finishing someone who Dustin also finished

Conor was a champion twice, Dustin wasn't. Makes it pretty difficult to argue in Dustin's favor.

 

[Objectively Correct]

Theres not really grounds for discussion in this, Conor was a champion. He is objectively greater.

 

[jnes]

Doostin

 

['Suga Daddy']

Gotta be Dustin, beating a prime Max Holloway who was a sitting champion was insanely impressive

 

[laleggenda27]

Conor accomplished more, and Conor at his best was better than Dustin at his best. Whereas Dustin has had much great more sustained success.

But the answer is obviously Conor. The fact that Dustin has never been the champion pretty much kills any argument in his favor.

A better comparison/question would be Dustin vs. Tony.

 

[Dr. Rose]

Conor being champion is a pretty big point. However, is someone truly a champion if they never defended their belt. His record in title fights deserves an asterisk because he never defended a belt. It is a bit disingenuous if someone knows and understands that but does not factor it in the debate (I am not saying you are doing this, I don't think it was even thought about. It was not mentioned, but it needed to be).

Zero title defenses is also why anyone who genuinely places Conor in GOATS talks cannot be taken as a serious follower of MMA.

 

[blaseblase]

Poirier's the better fighter but it's 2 division champ v no champ.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Lmao

 

[Dandy Chiggins]

It's true Dustin has failed in big fights but so has Conor. Dustin has a longer career because he's more focused and kept improving while Conor didn't.

 

[MindGamingMantis]

Dustin won the trilogy against him while they were both in their athletic prime, and that's factoring in the KO losses Poirier took and the wars he took/the McGregor fights against Diaz/Mayweather/Khabib.

Poirier is still fighting and at the very highest level. Conor doesn't have the hunger anymore; Poirier still does. Dustin is just the better fighter, point, blank, and simple. However, McGregor will always have the greater legacy.