UFC president Dana White has worked with all of the best fighters the Octagon has ever seen, so when it comes to naming the greatest fighter of all time, he will surely know his stuff.
With just one champion per division, it is much easier to determine the greats in UFC compared to other combat sport boxing which has a range of champions and belts per division.
Recently, Dana White sat down with GQ sports to take part in their ‘Actually Me’ segment where a superstar from the sporting world goes undercover and replies to fans on social media. He covers a range of topics such as which casinos he’s banned from, which champion he’d cut and the most satisfying UFC victory he’s witnessed. He also names his five goats of the sport.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 06: Jon Jones of the United States looks on prior to his UFC Light Heavyweight Title bout against Thiago Santos of Brazil at T-Mobile Arena on July 06, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones defeated Santos by decision. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Jon Jones has been the light heavyweight champion on three different occasions but has since relinquished his title to move up to the heavyweight division. He will be returning to the Octagon soon to take on Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic looking to better his impressive 26-1 record.
Dana White has named Anderson Silva as the GOAT of all combat sport
Brazilian fighter Anderson Silva will always be an all-time great of the sport. The former middleweight champion holds the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days which included 16 successive defences until his retirement in 2020.
Ronda Rousey
It’s almost six years since we last saw Ronda Rousey in the Octagon after leaving the sport following two defeats in succession after her 12 straight wins, but her legacy lives on. She was a trailblazer for women in the UFC and has also been incredibly successful in the WWE.
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 12: Conor McGregor leaves the Octagon after his first-round knockout victory over Jose Aldo in their featherweight title fight during UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Notorious is a man that needs no introduction. His marketability helped the UFC’s exponential growth and Conor McGregor’s ability matched that. We haven’t seen him in the Octagon for over a year since he broke his leg in the loss against Dustin Poirier. The former champion is close to a potential return after being back in full training. He just doesn’t have an opponent named yet.
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre is a UFC champion in both the welterweight division (three times) and middleweight division (two times). He retired as a defending champion in 2013 although he returned in 2017 for a period. The Canadian tops plenty of GOAT lists so it is no surprise to see him named by Dana White!
Watch the video below, he makes the admission from 7:40: