Over its more than a decade of existence, the UFC has witnessed some of the most lethal and talented fighters who have left an indelible mark in the octagon, earning their place among the sport’s elite. And fans worldwide have their own picks for the greatest, or as netizens call them, the ‘OGs’, and are always eager to defend their choices. While it’s important for fans to know others’ opinions, it’s not always well-received, as Jon Jones recently discovered.
Jones, considered by many to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time, recently released his list of the top five MMA GOATs. However, his decision to include Khabib Nurmagomedov in his list has left fans infuriated, as they feel that ‘The Eagle’ does not deserve to be called the greatest by any stretch. Despite the buzz surrounding Jones’ return, his inclusion of Nurmagomedov has caused a stir among fans, who are quick to argue against his list.
Fans believe Khabib Nurmagomedov is undeserving of being on the MMA GOAT list
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Despite Khabib Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record, fans are up in arms over his inclusion on Jon Jones’ list of MMA greats. Many argue that fighters like Demetrious Johnson, who is considered by some to be the epitome of perfection in the octagon, should have been included instead.
Jon Jones has named his top 5 greatest MMA fighters of all time 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Mpl6V9KrIb
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) February 24, 2023
One fan argues to put Demetrious Johnson over Khabib:
Imagine having khabib and not Mighty Mouse.
— Paul McClure (@chiefmackers) February 24, 2023
This fan called out ‘The Eagle’ in quite a harsh way:
Khabib is ass, put DJ in there https://t.co/zsg0oRzBCv
— Goat of Sparta (@princeptionn) February 24, 2023
Khabib, being on the list, threw this supporter way off:
khabib on this list pic.twitter.com/3wFTulybEq
— jr (@aristo7le) February 24, 2023
Amanda Nunes makes more sense for this fan than Khabib:
Amanda Nunes defeated opponents with higher win/loss ratios than Khabib's opponents.
— Peter Kubicki (@PeterKubicki) February 24, 2023
Khabib’s resume is not that impressive for this fan:
Khabib had what 12 or 13 fights in the ufc? 4 title defenses? And no Mighty Mouse? Stop it lol
— Josh Woolaghan (@Woolaghan) February 24, 2023
Even the top 10 is not where this fan would want to see the Russian in:
Khabob retired too early, not even top 10 (all time)
— tyler (@tyler61772746) February 24, 2023
Other fan questioned the merit of this list:
Khabib had what 12 or 13 fights in the ufc? 4 title defenses? And no Mighty Mouse? Stop it lol
— Josh Woolaghan (@Woolaghan) February 24, 2023
It seems that despite his impressive record, Khabib still has to earn his stripes among the most elite fighters.
Khabib has only 3 good wins and one of them was against Conor post Mayweather fight. How isn’t Fedor there? 🤦🏼♂️
— Diego Russo (@_russoo) February 24, 2023
Thus, many did not agree with the fighter.
Read more: Dana White Had No Room for Jon Jones, Khabib & Amanda Nunes on His Version of UFC “Mount Rushmore”
Moreover, it also came up as a surprise for them over seeing this inclusion, given that Jones had previously refuted Khabib’s claim to the pound-for-pound throne after his retirement.
When Jon Jones mocked Khabib for taking over the P4P ranking
After Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s victory over Justin Gaethje in 2020, he took over the throne of the pound-for-pound king from Jon Jones. Jones didn’t seem pleased with this and quickly took to Twitter to express his feelings.
Until I take that heavily crown, I grant you the spot. 🤙🏾 Enjoy Champ
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 24, 2020
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However, it didn’t take much time for Jones to come back with a tweet taking a jab at Nurmagomedov and his win over Gaethje. He emphasized that nobody knew the Russian before he fought Conor McGregor.
Unanimous decision over last minute replacement Al Iaquinta to become champion🤷🏾♂️ Conor McGregor is the only opponent he’s ever had that the general public actually knew. Catapulted my man to becoming the best ever, this is hilarious
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 27, 2020
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Despite all this, the question remains, why did Jones include the Dagestani on his list of the greatest fighters? It’s a valid question, but at the end of the day, opinions on who should be considered the GOAT are subjective. However, owing to their enthusiasm for the sport, the supporters would never hesitate to make a point.
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