Dana White picks Jon Jones as UFC GOAT, but claims Khabib Nurmagomedov is best right now

UFC president Dana White recently sat down with TMZ Sports, where he hailed Jon Jones as the UFC's greatest of all time (GOAT). However, he then called Khabib Nurmagomedov as the “best fighter right now,” despite the UFC lightweight champion announcing his retirement in October 2020. The Eagle defeated Justin Gaethje in his last bout at UFC 254, taking his undefeated record to 29-0.

By doing so Khabib Nurmagomedov dethroned Jon Jones to become the new UFC pound-for-pound king — the list Bonny had dominated for years. Since then, Khabib has become a major contender for the UFC GOAT title, facing competition from legends like George St Pierre, Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson, Chuck Liddell and many others apart from Jones.

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UFC GOAT: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones’ impressive resume

Both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones boast of an incredible resume, with wins over multiple top contenders. While Nurmagomedov is undefeated in the MMA, Jones ruled the light-heavyweight division for years before vacating his title to move up to the heavyweights. His last win was against Dominick Reyes in February, which he won via unanimous decision with a very small margin.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, was dominant in almost every fight, with the biggest example being the Gaethje bout. The Highlight was pitted to give Nurmagomedov his biggest fight yet, but The Eagle dominated from the starting bell and stopped Gaethje in the second round via submission. However, it has to be noted that Jones spent a large chunk of his career as the champion, defending his light heavyweight belt eleven times, compared to Khabib’s four championship bouts.

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Dana White impressed with Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland

Later in the interview, Dana White praised welterweight Khamzat Chimaev, saying that he’s most excited to see the Russian go up against Leon Edwards in 2021. The Lone Wolf rose to prominence last year as he defeated three fighters within weeks before battering Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds. Dana White then took Kevin Holland’s name, claiming that the UFC middleweight contender has been the biggest surprise of 2020. Holland won all his five bouts in 2020, becoming a huge player in the division.

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Image Source: AP