The “GOAT thread” started by Conor McGregor yesterday has invoked a lot of debate in the past 24 hours. Several UFC fighters have commented on the list. This includes Nate Diaz and Jon Jones. However, the two have ended up going against each other on Twitter.
Yesterday, Conor weighed in on the often-discussed issue of who should be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. McGregor presented his list on Twitter that had four names ranked in order.
He even gave detailed explanations as to why he had kept someone at a particular position. The Dublin-based fighter hailed Anderson Silva as the GOAT and placed himself on the second spot.
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The third and fourth positions were occupied by George St-Pierre and Jon Jones. The list generated a substantial backlash from the fans as well as UFC fighters.
Nate Diaz posted a picture from UFC 196 when he submitted McGregor. In typical Diaz brothers fashion, Nate implied that he was the real GOAT.
GOAT THREAD.
The array of finishes, across 2 divisions, with champion status in 1, Anderson Silva is No.1 MMA GOAT.
My array of finishes, across 3 divisions, with champion status in 2, I’m No.2. If not tied 1.
However still active, No.1 is fully secured by career end. And easily.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 23, 2020
“Ridiculous” – Jon Jones ridiculed Nate Diaz over his tweet
Jones was never impressed with Conor’s list in the first place. Despite winning the title in multiple weight classes, McGregor never defended either of them. Jones mocked him over the same.
He posted the statistics of most wins in title fights which had him sitting comfortably on the top. However, McGregor wasn’t even on the list.
All this was still manageable for “Bones”. When he saw Diaz’s tweet, he knew he had seen enough. He labeled Diaz’s attempt to insert himself into the conversation as “ridiculous“.
Not the one to take an insult lying down, Diaz fired back at Jones. He blasted Jones for his run-ins with USADA.
No ones gonna remember your fights 💉
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 24, 2020
Conor McGregor had also brought up the issue of performance-enhancing drugs. However, the factor didn’t affect his list too much.
Jon Jones has had significant troubles with USADA. The first one was a month before UFC 182 when his samples showed a high level of cocaine. However, since cocaine was not on the prohibited list, Jones was still able to compete.
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His second violation came before his scheduled fight with Daniel Cormier ahead of UFC 200. This time he tested positive for banned substances which were hormone and metabolic modulators.
Jones maintained that he wasn’t a drug cheat, claiming that he was the victim of a contaminated product. The USADA handed him a year-long ban.
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His last faceoff with USADA happened when it was announced that he had failed his drug test one day before his rematch against Daniel Cormier. This time he tested positive for Turinabol.
The California State Athletic Commission changed his victory over DC to a no-contest. Jones had to serve a 15-month suspension by the USADA.