News The GOAT Anderson Silva still to this day says BJ Penn is the best ever. Picks his 4 best fighters.

[TCE]

1. Penn
2. Khabib
3. Royce Gracie
4. Big Nog

“Well, there’s lots of different fighters I respect, but if we’re talking about the best, I would say BJ Penn,” said Silva when talking through his list of best four MMA fighters ever. “What the guy did, he’s amazing, what he did for the sport.”

“Khabib, Khabib is a beast, he’s so amazing,” added Silva. “He changed, how you say, his wrestling, his pressure, how he fight, he changed the game.”

Silva chose two fellow Brazilians to round out his list; UFC 1, 2 & 4 winner Royce Gracie and former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

“I would also say Royce Gracie - he started everything. Without him there would be nothing. None of this, no UFC, nothing. My best friend ‘Minotauro’ as well. He’s my master. He gave me my black belt in jiu-jitsu.”

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2021/7/...mas-mount-rushmore-logan-paul-mma-boxing-news

 

[Nandez]

CTE

 

[VinceArch]

Anderson is forever on that 'BJ Penn = best fighter ever' ride. All those sex pills from Thailand are messing with his brain.

 

[Mammothman]

No Jon Jones? Picto won't be happy about that list

 

[lefthighkick01]

He picked his favourite fighters, not who he thinks is the best seems like?

 

[Prologue]

 

[Iron Nick]

I know i'll get shit on for saying this, but there is no way in hell that Big Nog deserves such a high ranking.
This goes for Royce Gracie too, with all due respect.

There are several currently active fighters in multiple UFC divisions that are significantly better than either of those guys.

 

[TheSpider]

Anderson is too humble to call himself the GOAT. Hespect

 

[TCE]

He picked his favourite fighters, not who he thinks is the best seems like?

Well it's a list of his top four MMA fighters ever i.e the best ever.

This is the tagline:

The UFC legend had some interesting selections, and omissions, in his list of top four MMA fighters ever.

 

[RonMachineGunJhun]

I like the list. I know he has Pele up there too.

 

[RonMachineGunJhun]

I know i'll get shit on for saying this, but there is no way in hell that Big Nog deserves such a high ranking.
This goes for Royce Gracie too, with all due respect.

There are several currently active fighters in multiple UFC divisions that are significantly better than either of those guys.

Braddah how many guys today do you think could fight three times in a night? not only fight but win.

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

Anderson will never acknowledge GSP or Jones as the GOAT because those are two fighters he was in talks to fight against and fighters that were his most legitimate threat to his own personal P4P status. So of course he is going to defer to other fighters on his P4P list.

 

[Iron Nick]

Braddah how many guys today do you think could fight three times in a night?

Many, actually.
I agree though that Big Nog was otherworldly tough and durable.

Still i stand by my point that numerous active fighters are already significantly better.

 

[Ice Hotel]

If you don't have BJ Penn at least in your Top 5 GOAT list you don't know much of anything and probably weren't around during his prime

 

[Dirty Frank]

1. Penn
2. Khabib
3. Royce Gracie
4. Big Nog

“Well, there’s lots of different fighters I respect, but if we’re talking about the best, I would say BJ Penn,” said Silva when talking through his list of best four MMA fighters ever. “What the guy did, he’s amazing, what he did for the sport.”

“Khabib, Khabib is a beast, he’s so amazing,” added Silva. “He changed, how you say, his wrestling, his pressure, how he fight, he changed the game.”

Silva chose two fellow Brazilians to round out his list; UFC 1, 2 & 4 winner Royce Gracie and former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

“I would also say Royce Gracie - he started everything. Without him there would be nothing. None of this, no UFC, nothing. My best friend ‘Minotauro’ as well. He’s my master. He gave me my black belt in jiu-jitsu.”

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2021/7/...mas-mount-rushmore-logan-paul-mma-boxing-news

 

[IloveTHIS]

I know i'll get shit on for saying this, but there is no way in hell that Big Nog deserves such a high ranking.
This goes for Royce Gracie too, with all due respect.

There are several currently active fighters in multiple UFC divisions that are significantly better than either of those guys.

Agree with Nog but you can make a very strong argument for Royce...

It's about context and historical impact. Obviously prime Royce wouldnt be even a top 500 fighter compared to the skill level of today, but it's about what he did at the time and the impact of it

 

[blastoff]

Braddah how many guys today do you think could fight three times in a night?

If they fought the dudes Royce was fighting...pretty much every male fighter on the UFC roster

 

[Iron Nick]

Agree with Nog but you can make a very strong argument for Royce...

It all depends on our criteria, right?
If we're talking about how good a fighter was for his time and the circumstances or how Import he was for the sport, then of course it's going to be a different discussion.
Personally, the best fighter to me is the one who's the p4p-best which is why i don't think Royce or Big Nog deserve such a high spot.

I know people like to excuse big fighters lack of technique compared to smaller ones with "you can't move like that if you're a big guy" but this is only true in terms of speed, not in terms of technicality itself and there are several big guys in other sports that have shown this.

Long story short; i think that any version of Big Nog would - if he was a 155er - not even be ranked.
I also think any version of Jon Jones would get whooped by the likes of Aldo, Yan, BJ, Cejudo, GSP, Khabib and DJ, if he was their size.

 

[HNIC215]

 

[The Chosen]

Braddah how many guys today do you think could fight three times in a night?

Khamzat