The sport of MMA is less than 40 years old; however, we have seen its rapid growth from the days of single discipline fighters (wrestlers, boxers) all the way to athletes with a variety of skills. Since the beginning people have wondered who the greatest of all time is. The most common names mentioned are the UFC’s Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva.
For the purists of the sport who see one positive drug test as a disqualification from a conversation of the top athletes, St-Pierre completely wins the debate. He’s the most well-rounded fighter, has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, and retired from the sport after winning 13 straight fights and being a world champion in two different weight divisions.
For those compelled to disregard the question of drug tests in general, Jon Jones would likely win. Jones separates himself from others with multiple world champions defeated, the record for title fight victories (14), and other than a loss by disqualification, he is undefeated in mixed martial arts.
Anderson Silva has a play in this argument also. The top fighter of the late 2000s, Silva’s middleweight championship run included 10 title defences, a 16-fight unbeaten streak that stands to this day as the longest in UFC history, and a myriad of career highlights.
Whether you like any of these fighters or not, there isn’t a conversation about the greatest fight in MMA that won’t mention these three names.
