Seemingly, no single sport escapes discussions over who is the greatest ever, and debates on the subject are often hotly-contested and fail to draw a definitive conclusion.
Yet, Joe Rogan, the legendary UFC commentator and one of the leading voices in the sport, has little doubt over who he believes is the best MMA fighter of all time.
Speaking on his podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, Rogan revealed who he is picking as the best ever in MMA, and he hasn't gone with the classic Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre picks.
When talking about the GOAT of MMA, and in particular UFC, most people name one of the two mentioned fighters, but Rogan doesn't sit in that category.
Instead, he's opted for Demetrious Johnson as his GOAT.
“He [Johnson] doesn't get hit. He's a dazzling fighter. He puts on shows. The best ever. He's the best, physically, ever,” Rogan said.
Johnson, now 34 and fighting for ONE Championship, had a glittering career in UFC after making his debut in 2011.
The man nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’ won the first flyweight championship in 2012 and defended the belt 11 times before relinquishing it to Henry Cejudo in 2018.
Nevertheless, Rogan admitted he is “disappointed” that the American did not achieve more, conceding: “For whatever reason, Mighty Mouse never became a giant superstar.
“That confused the s**t out of me. When he took Ray Borg and suplexed him and caught him with an armbar on the way down... I was like, 'What the f**k does this guy have to do to become a superstar?”
Johnson has not fought since October 2019, where he defeated Danny Kingad by unanimous decision in Tokyo.
Though Rogan’s opinion is among the most respected in UFC, the sport’s GOAT debate will, unsurprisingly, rage on.
Other names regularly mentioned in the discussion are, as mentioned above, Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones, with UFC President Dana White revealing last May that he favours Jones, believing there is “no debate” over who leads the way.
Rogan at least partially agrees with White, stating about Jones: “The only thing that keeps [Johnson] from being thought of as universally the greatest.
“Jon Jones has been able to beat better guys. Jon Jones fights a better calibre of competition because the 205-pound weight class, at least at one point in time, had a deeper talent pool."
Though he has made his stance clear, it appears that even Rogan knows that MMA remains a long way away from a clear answer to the age-old question.