The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT debate is a staple of the sports landscape today. Countless segments on countless sports shows have been dedicated to passionate interlocutors having heated debates, making the case for their favorite player.

One can make a case for either man based on their personal parameters and preferences. And UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has pointed out this fact and talked about his own greatness in a press conference ahead of his bout against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 this Sunday.

Israel Adesanya talks about what drives him

On being asked what drove him to keep excelling at the top level, Israel Adesanya said that he was chasing being the greatest fighter of all time. And while he did not care about rankings, he felt he was still one of the best. He put friend and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski as the greatest MMA fighter of all time. He did not, however, talk about Jon Jones or Khabib Nurmagomedov. Adesanya was impressed by the Aussie, who recently went up to lightweight and fought well against boogeyman Islam Makhachev.

“I still think I’m one of the greatest of all time. I put Alexander Volkanovski as the greatest of all time in my eyes because I see the work he does and he’s my buddy and I love the way he fights. He’s one of my favorite fighters in history. But.. when have I ever given a f*** about the rankings?” he said.

Adesanya thinks there can be no resolution to MJ vs. LeBron James debate

Adesanya also weighed in on the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate. He stated that the debate was ultimately irresolvable as it was, like art, based upon subjective preferences and tastes. He reiterated his belief that he would be considered the greatest mixed martial fighter by the time his career was over.

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“I know when it’s all said and done I’ll be the best. This is art. This is like the whole Michael Jordan versus LeBron argument. When have you ever changed someone’s mind when you have that debate about LeBron versus Michael? Never. You know why? Because it’s art and art is subjective,” the middleweight champion told reporters.

Adesanya is one of the greatest champions in UFC history already. While his losses to Pereira and Blachowicz may have knocked him out of contention over Jon Jones who has never been beaten in his career, he still has time to cement his legacy. And the way his career is going, he might well be considered the greatest when the dust settles.

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