When did Jon Jones start to become a GOAT candidate?

[Van Daz]

Jones is frequently mentioned during GOAT talks, along with other legends such as GSP, Silva, Fedor, Aldo, etc.

This thread is not a debate of who is the GOAT, but rather, when did Jones become agreed upon as a GOAT candidate, or potentially the GOAT?

After beating Shogun, a lot of us definitely saw serious potential, but he was obviously not GOAT status that time. Which point of his career/victory sealed him as one of the best?

Such a nice picture. Was that from his first or fourth court case? Think he has a Tommy gun in the left hand.

People throw around the GOAT word all the time, but I do think he's in the mix. Too bad his nose is in the mix...sniff, sniff. He had a real gift, but his ego was his worst opponent. We all have demons, like it or not.

 

[Fioretti]

Before Jones came Chuck Liddell had the most title defenses in the history of the LHW division at 4 defenses

When Jon beat Chael Sonnen he broke that record and became the greatest LHW of all time and entered the GOAT conversation

No. Tito has 5.

 

[orca]

When he scored his best win: TKO for life win over USADA via pulsing exemption.

no one ever had done something that impressive before in this sports history

u should work there bro u might be more knowledgable in these things
than the experts working at USADA

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

When he beat Cormier the 1st time.

 

[mraa1]

When he smacked everybody all over. Anderson Silva DUCKED him, this is well known.

Ehh tbf I recall Jones not being too excited at a prospective Anderson fight either but maybe my memory is bad

 

[turbotime]

Ehh tbf I recall Jones not being too excited at a prospective Anderson fight either but maybe my memory is bad

Lol What could Anderson possibly do? He'd be smashed.

 

[Franklin U.]

It’s extremely difficult to do what Jon, Khabib, Fedor, Anderson and Gsp did. Mma is not a joke.

Jon is in category by himself cause we'll never see an 8 year run of the likes of what he did , who he did it and how ( thats why he is goat whether you hate or like ).

 

[Franklin U.]

Ehh tbf I recall Jones not being too excited at a prospective Anderson fight either but maybe my memory is bad

It was the other way around unless something was said out of respect. Unlike Gsp, Andy was a man about the fact he wasn't fighting Jones.

 

[Aurelian]

Ehh tbf I recall Jones not being too excited at a prospective Anderson fight either but maybe my memory is bad

It was Anderson claiming to be friends with Jon Jones so to not fight him. Consensus from fans at the time circa 2012 was Jon would destroy him.

 

[Franklin U.]

Hard to remember, honestly. I think the first DC win solidified his GOAT candidacy.

That put the proverbial stamp of " goat" on the name Jon Jones for my money.

Looking forward to fight .I really don't know what to expect from Jon .

 

[C0NCH3TO]

Jon is in category by himself cause we'll never see an 8 year run of the likes of what he did , who he did it and how ( thats why he is goat whether you hate or like ).

He is one of the GOATS for sure. There is no such thing as a clear and unquestionable goat to me, though. Fedor, Jones, Anderson and Gsp had ups and downs despite being far better than the others.

It was the other way around unless something was said out of respect. Unlike Gsp, Andy was a man about the fact he wasn't fighting Jones.

lol of course Anderson didn’t want anything to do with Jones. Prime Jones was a monster and was MUCH bigger than Anderson. Same way Jones never wanted none of that HW smoke for years too.

 

[Franklin U.]

He is one of the GOATS for sure. There is no such thing as a clear and unquestionable goat to me, though. Fedor, Jones, Anderson and Gsp had ups and downs despite being far better than the others.


lol of course Anderson didn’t want anything to do with Jones. Prime Jones was a monster and was MUCH bigger than Anderson. Same way Jones never wanted none of that HW smoke for years too.

Uh, ok.....i agree.I was just correcting poster.
No reason for the "lol".

Lol

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

No. Tito has 5.

He had 5 title wins not defenses

Slight difference

 

[CashMoney1991]

In terms of entering the Goat convo- he was getting there after 2011, that run was just insane and he smoked all 4 dudes, his sub against Machida was just unreal
In terms of him actually being the overall goat, I said he probably was that after the first DC win, by then, he had like 7-8 title defenses and beat some solid competition, minus Sonnen

 

[Fioretti]

He had 5 title wins not defenses

Slight difference

No, he has 5 title defenses.

 

[CasualBot]

Imagine Fedor's middle name was Dwight.

 

[CasualBot]

u should work there bro u might be more knowledgable in these things
than the experts working at USADA

You gullible as fuck to take that bait son.

did you save time using the letter U ?
If only we could abbreviate every word.

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

No, he has 5 title defenses.

Nope 4

 

[Cartiac]

There is no point in time that defines a GOAT, but if I were to place a time on Jon Jones it would be finishing his toughest opponent, the only man to hurt him and put him in the hospital, Gus in their rematch.

 

[Fioretti]

Nope 4

View attachment 970866

That's not Tito. Tito defended against: Kondo, Tanner, Sinosic, Matyushenko, and Shamrock.

Fuckin hell.