The Absolute Best Fighter Ever in Each Weight Class

[jackleeb]

(updated after an amazing 2024 year in MMA)

not the greatest fighter (resume), but best fighter (fighting ability).
assume every fighter in their prime, in that weight category.

----------------------------

Flyweight - 125 lbs:
Demetrious Johnson

Bantamweight - 135 lbs:
Dominick Cruz

Featherweight - 145 lbs:
Ilia Topuria (not Jose Aldo)

Lightweight - 155 lbs:
Khabib Nurmagomedov (not Islam Makhachev)

Welterweight - 170 lbs:
Georges St-Pierre (not Shavkat Rakhmonov)

Middleweight -185 lbs:
Khamzat Chimaev (not Anderson Silva)

Light Heavyweight - 205 lbs:
Jon Jones (not Alex Pereira)

Heavyweight - 265 lbs:
Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall or Francis Ngannou
(Prime Fedor loses to at least one of these three)

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Welterweight - 170 lbs:
Georges St-Pierre (not Shavkat Rakhmonov)

Thanks for clarifying, I was really wondering about this one

 

[blaseblase]

(updated after an amazing 2024 year in MMA)

not the greatest fighter (resume), but best fighter (fighting ability).
assume every fighter in their prime, in that weight category.

----------------------------

Flyweight - 125 lbs:
Demetrious Johnson

Bantamweight - 135 lbs:
Dominick Cruz

Featherweight - 145 lbs:
Ilia Topuria (not Jose Aldo)

Lightweight - 155 lbs:
Khabib Nurmagomedov (not Islam Makhachev)

Welterweight - 170 lbs:
Georges St-Pierre (not Shavkat Rakhmonov)

Middleweight -185 lbs:
Khamzat Chimaev (not Anderson Silva)

Light Heavyweight - 205 lbs:
Jon Jones (not Alex Pereira)

Heavyweight - 265 lbs:
Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall or Francis Ngannou
(Prime Fedor loses to at least one of these three)

Featherweight: Aldo
Middleweight: Silva
Heavyweight: Fedor

I agree with your other picks. But it's ridiculous to choose guys with 1 or 2 title defenses over the consensus GOATs of the division who dominated for years. This feels like a sneaky troll thread, mixing sensible opinions with a few obviously dumb ones.

 

[AmonTobin]

Jon Jones fought twice at HW and he's tied for the best fighter ever in that weight class with the last 2 guys to have a belt in it? I think you're suffering from a case of recency bias.

 

[Striker Fox]

Middleweight -185 lbs:
Khamzat Chimaev

Heavyweight - 265 lbs:
Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall or Francis Ngannou

 

[Elegant]

Prime TJ beats any 135er ever, at the time I think we all agreed he beat Cruz and that also he wins that fight more often than not

You could make the case for prime 145 Conor being better than Topuria

 

[mjoln]

Jones fought once at hw. Against Gane.

 

[Elegant]

BJ Penn at his peak was much better than Khabib or Islam as well

At his absolute best he literally could've literally held the 145, 155, 170 titles if he was a bit more disciplined

 

[Gregoire1]

Flyweight - 125 lbs:
Demetrious Johnson

Bantamweight - 135 lbs:
Cruz

Featherweight - 145 lbs:
Volk

Lightweight - 155 lbs:
Islam

Welterweight - 170 lbs:
GSP

Middleweight -185 lbs:
Andy

Light Heavyweight - 205 lbs:
Jones

Heavyweight - 265 lbs:
Jones/Cain/Ngannou

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Pretty sure Umar is bantamweight GOAT

 

[HavokHarmon]

Poorly disguised Khamzat bait thread.

 

[bobafett]

Shit tier trolling

 

[Fedorgasm]

HW - Fedor (obviously)
LHW - Randy
MW - Sakuraba
WW - GSP
LW - BJ Penn
145 and under - probably some chick

 

[RockyLockridge]

Featherweight: Aldo
Middleweight: Silva
Heavyweight: Fedor

I agree with your other picks. But it's ridiculous to choose guys with 1 or 2 title defenses over the consensus GOATs of the division who dominated for years. This feels like a sneaky troll thread, mixing sensible opinions with a few obviously dumb ones.

never said greatest said best. So i think he means head to head who would lose the least fights. not who is the most accomplished.

generally I agree with all that he said. Khamzat will have likely beaten Anderson silva. despite silva being the goat mw, If cheal can get him down whenever, khamzat tko's or submits him in 2 I still wouldnt pick khamzat in that slot, but I understand where he is coming from. Im not sure khamzat beats dricus.


Cruz is a pick I disagree with most, Yes he's the most accomplished, but He wouldn't beat prime merab.

 

[Ahmed Masood]

Prime TJ beats any 135er ever, at the time I think we all agreed he beat Cruz and that also he wins that fight more often than not

You could make the case for prime 145 Conor being better than Topuria

agree with TJ 100%, Conor though, he'd get smushed by Volk and Topuria

 

[chinarice]

Prime TJ beats any 135er ever, at the time I think we all agreed he beat Cruz and that also he wins that fight more often than not

You could make the case for prime 145 Conor being better than Topuria

Pretty sure I was in the minority who said TJ beat Cruz

TJ was so hated that there was no way he'd get a fair shake on Sherdog in a close fight that went the distance

The continuous line used was "He was whiffing air all night", even though he landed more strikes than Cruz did lol

 

[xhaydenx]

Prime TJ beats any 135er ever, at the time I think we all agreed he beat Cruz and that also he wins that fight more often than not

You could make the case for prime 145 Conor being better than Topuria

Regarding TJ, lol no. We did not all agree he beat Cruz. Cruz definitely won, though it was very competitive. Also, that was a declining Cruz that had fought only twice in 5 years, and it was 2 years since his last. He was coming off injuries as well.

Meanwhile Tj had fought like 9 times during that same space of time and was in his Prime. And he still couldn't beat Cruz.

As for Conor, also no. Conor looked good fighting the likes of Siver, Young Max, and 2 weeks notice and no cardio Chad. None of those guys compare to Topuria at all. Topuria would have flattened Conor.

 

[xhaydenx]

Pretty sure I was in the minority who said TJ beat Cruz

TJ was so hated that there was no way he'd get a fair shake on Sherdog in a close fight that went the distance

The continuous line used was "He was whiffing air all night", even though he landed more strikes than Cruz did lol

TJ's problem was that he was whiffing his big shots, not all his shots. He landed more but he was landing smaller shots while Cruz was landing his bigger ones.

Making someone miss like Cruz was making him miss always looks good as well.

That was such a great fight. Two of the most dynamic strikers we've ever seen in any weight classes, and we got to watch them both strike for 5 rounds. What a joy that was. I'm getting an MMA stiffy just thinking about it now.

 

[don't ask]

Featherweight: Aldo
Middleweight: Silva
Heavyweight: Fedor

I agree with your other picks. But it's ridiculous to choose guys with 1 or 2 title defenses over the consensus GOATs of the division who dominated for years. This feels like a sneaky troll thread, mixing sensible opinions with a few obviously dumb ones.

This x 1000

 

[Streeter]

No version of Illa bests prime Aldo at 145. Only advantage he has on Aldo is maybe power in hands.

No version of Khazmat beats prime Anderson