It is almost recieved wisdom at this point that Jon Jones is the consensus MMA GOAT. While there is a case to be made for Georges St-Pierre or Demetrious Johnson, the fact that ‘Bones’ is (de facto) undefeated raises his stock immensely. In addition, ‘Bones’ has virtually stopped legends in their respective primes with triumphs over nine former UFC champions, putting him in another league from his peers. All of this despite the ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion’s history of PED usage and an array of legal issues outside the cage.

This is something Jones has iterated time after time but his assertions have transcended the world of MMA. Naturally, this eyebrow-raising claim has caught the fans’ attention. One of Jones’ teammates posted an AI-generated list that put ‘Bones’ number seven on a list of the greatest athletes of all time.

The UFC superstar was behind the likes of Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, and Wayne Gretzky. But Jones’ teammate explained why ‘Bones’ should be at the top of the list in his Instagram Story.

“He [Jones] should be #1 cuz he can beat all of them up,” he wrote. And ‘Bones’ agreed with this logic completely, sharing the list on his own Instagram Story and writing “Haha I like your logic 🤓.”

Earlier, Jon Jones had expressed satisfaction and happiness with being ranked #7 on the greatest athlete of all time list but seems to have changed his mind based upon his teammate’s airtight logic. Of course, there is still a debate about whether or not Jones is even the GOAT of MMA, with the other side making some good points against the proposition.

Is Jon Jones even the GOAT of MMA?

Dana White, of course, believes Jon Jones is the greatest of all time. After all, the GOAT contender is essentially undefeated, which is a huge achievement in the UFC, since the best fight the best here. Jones currently has a record sixteen successful title defenses under his belt, three more than the second best at thirteen (by Georges St-Pierre) which gives him the edge in the fabled debate.

However, many would disagree despite these accolades, and for good reason. AKA head coach Javier Mendez, for example, feels that the heavyweight champ cannot be considered the GOAT simply because of his history of PED usage. After all, how can he be considered the greatest when he is a proven dr*g cheat, the argument goes.

On the other hand, while Demetrious Johnson and Georges St-Pierre have taken losses, they have never been proven to cheat. Some would argue that Khabib Nurmagomedov is in the GOAT contender list, too. ‘The Eagle’ also retired undefeated and is probably the most dominant fighter this sport has ever seen, but others would argue he retired too soon and couldn’t be considered the top dog because of it.

Since who one considers the GOAT is a subjective thing, based upon what criteria one uses, there is no real definitive answer. But to be fair, if one is going purely by performances in the octagon, Jones does seem to have the clear edge. What do you think about Jon Jones’ thoughts on the greatest athletes of all time list?