Jon Jones has officially retired from active competition. Despite his remarkable and almost unparalleled achievements inside the cage, a persistent question remains: Does he stand as truly the greatest fighter to have ever competed in mixed martial arts?
In a recent discussion featuring MMA experts Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, Jed Meshew, and E. Casey Leydon, the frequently debated topic of Jones`s legacy was revisited, specifically how it measures up against others in the conversation for the title of `Greatest of All Time`. The experts discussed whether the former two-division UFC champion accomplished enough to surpass the legacies of figures like Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jose Aldo, Fedor Emelianenko, and other prominent names. The central question posed was whether, pound-for-pound, Jones possesses the most comprehensive skillset ever seen in the sport.
Each of the four panelists assigned a specific ranking or value to Jones`s standing and presented their arguments supporting why they believe he either is or isn`t the undisputed greatest fighter in MMA history.
Furthermore, following Ilia Topuria`s significant knockout victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, the discussion turned to the current landscape of the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings. This result has led to three distinct champions receiving votes for the coveted No. 1 position: Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and Alexandre Pantoja. The panelists elaborated on their choices and justified why their preferred fighter should be recognized as the best overall competitor currently active on the planet.
