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Listening to everyone speak about champions and pound-for-pound greatest fighters, I think something gets lost in the argument.
A pound for pound fighter has to demonstrate their abilities against different fighters, fighting styles and fighting qualities OVER TIME. Jones, Silva, GSP and Fedor have a genuine claim to the title as they have demonstrated time and time again the ability to overcome a variety of obstacles.
Someone like Chris Weidman is a fantastic fighter and has the POTENTIAL to be the GOAT, but to say that he is already is simply laughable. He has not demonstrated OVER TIME that he can meet the wide and diverse challenges presented in the form of fighter "puzzles". Yes, he unseated one of the pound for pound kings, but does that necessarily make him the GOAT? Absolutely NOT. Fighters get beat. That's a reality. Weidman certainly has a great record and he found the way to beat Silva but he hasn't fought many fights. He has not ACTUALIZED his greatness. That comes with time, and many challenges, mental and physical, along the way.
Consider this. If Weidman lost his next fight, would you consider him to still be the GOAT? You wouldn't because you would have to concede he lost to Machida who clearly is not the GOAT (although a few of you might believe otherwise). Now lets presume he never got back on track after this loss. Hypothetically speaking, let's say that he never recovered from this loss, winning a few and losing a few. Could you say he was the greatest? NO!!! His legacy would ultimately be defined by his wins over Silva much like Douglas win over Tyson. Would anybody argue that Douglas was the GOAT in boxing? No, but many certainly argue that Tyson is. Just because you beat the best doesn't make you a GOAT. It MIGHT make you great, or perhaps lucky, or perhaps that fighter just figured out the other fighters style.
The GREATEST are those that have demonstrated they are great for years. They have to PROVE it. Fighter's like Weidman, DJ, and the new breed of champions are certainly elite fighters, but they have yet to prove their sustainability. Only then can you champion a fighter as a GOAT. Otherwise, it's all just presumption and we're left to assume a fighter is something they have not proved themselves to be.
A pound for pound fighter has to demonstrate their abilities against different fighters, fighting styles and fighting qualities OVER TIME. Jones, Silva, GSP and Fedor have a genuine claim to the title as they have demonstrated time and time again the ability to overcome a variety of obstacles.
Someone like Chris Weidman is a fantastic fighter and has the POTENTIAL to be the GOAT, but to say that he is already is simply laughable. He has not demonstrated OVER TIME that he can meet the wide and diverse challenges presented in the form of fighter "puzzles". Yes, he unseated one of the pound for pound kings, but does that necessarily make him the GOAT? Absolutely NOT. Fighters get beat. That's a reality. Weidman certainly has a great record and he found the way to beat Silva but he hasn't fought many fights. He has not ACTUALIZED his greatness. That comes with time, and many challenges, mental and physical, along the way.
Consider this. If Weidman lost his next fight, would you consider him to still be the GOAT? You wouldn't because you would have to concede he lost to Machida who clearly is not the GOAT (although a few of you might believe otherwise). Now lets presume he never got back on track after this loss. Hypothetically speaking, let's say that he never recovered from this loss, winning a few and losing a few. Could you say he was the greatest? NO!!! His legacy would ultimately be defined by his wins over Silva much like Douglas win over Tyson. Would anybody argue that Douglas was the GOAT in boxing? No, but many certainly argue that Tyson is. Just because you beat the best doesn't make you a GOAT. It MIGHT make you great, or perhaps lucky, or perhaps that fighter just figured out the other fighters style.
The GREATEST are those that have demonstrated they are great for years. They have to PROVE it. Fighter's like Weidman, DJ, and the new breed of champions are certainly elite fighters, but they have yet to prove their sustainability. Only then can you champion a fighter as a GOAT. Otherwise, it's all just presumption and we're left to assume a fighter is something they have not proved themselves to be.
