Jon Jones, widely recognized as one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, recently shared his perspective on who deserves a place alongside him among the sport`s absolute elite. Asked about his personal “Mount Rushmore of MMA,” a common discussion point for identifying the top four fighters ever, Jones provided his selections.
His choices, perhaps unsurprisingly, included himself and several other legendary figures. “Top four — Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and myself,” Jones stated in an interview. He added, “In no specific order. We’ve all done really great things in this sport.”
Jones`s own career achievements are undeniable, marked by the longest reign as light heavyweight champion in UFC history and his recent capture of the heavyweight title. His professional record shows only a single disqualification loss against Matt Hamill, a fight he was otherwise dominating before the illegal strikes occurred, preserving an effectively undefeated run.
The fighters he named are equally credentialed. Georges St-Pierre held the record for the longest welterweight title reign with nine defenses before moving up to become middleweight champion by defeating Michael Bisping.
Demetrious Johnson holds the UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses across any division, successfully defending his flyweight belt 11 straight times, surpassing Anderson Silva`s previous record of 10 defenses at middleweight.
Regarding Silva, Jones specifically mentioned viewing “The Spider” as his “idol,” admitting he still feels a sense of awe or nervousness when he interacts with the iconic Brazilian former champion.
Considering the immense accomplishments and records held by these four athletes, it`s difficult to dispute Jones`s selection for his personal Mount Rushmore of MMA`s all-time greats.
