“The real GOAT is Jon Jones”: Merab Dvalishvili rejects Islam Makhachev’s GOAT claim and backs Jon Jones
Merab Dvalishvili explained why he ranks Jon Jones above Islam Makhachev in the UFC GOAT debate.
Islam Makhachev not only defended his first welterweight title at UFC 330 but also created history as the UFC's longest win streak, with 17 wins, a run that has divided the MMA community. Many are calling him the greatest of all time (GOAT), while others are arguing that Jon Jones is the GOAT, while mentioning a few other fighters too in the discussion.
Recently, Merab Dvalishvili weighed in on the ongoing debate and shared that, for him, Jones is the Goat, explaining his pick.
Merab Dvalishvili gives Islam Makhachev his due but explains why Jon Jones remains his undisputed UFC GOAT
Helen Yee recently asked Dvalishvili about the ongoing GOAT debate and whether Makhachev's latest accomplishments have moved him to the top of the list.
While the Georgian acknowledged Makhachev's greatness and placed him among the all-time greats, he believes Jones remains the undisputed GOAT because of his championship résumé and longevity at the top of the sport.
"For me, goat is Jon Jones, you know, he has the most title defenses, and he was fighting for title fights and main events,” Dvalishvili said.
Dvalishvili then gave Makhachev his due, and he considers the Dagestani star one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, though he does not put him ahead of Jones.
“Islam is a great fighter and... you know, I mean, he's one of the goats but the real goat is Jon Jones you know but yeah all the respect for Islam Makhachev," Dvalishvili added.
Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:
Makhachev, the way he dominated the lightweight division, everyone expected the same in his new division, and he did exactly that in his first welterweight fight against Jack Della Maddalena, dethroning him with a unanimous decision victory after more than 19 minutes of control.
However, in his first welterweight title defense, Makhachev had to work against Ian Machado Garry to secure victory, and many feel that was his toughest fight yet. Many are highlighting his performance at UFC 330 to count him out of the GOAT conversation, and Joe Rogan even suggested getting back to lightweight because he feels 170-pound fighters are way bigger.
More recently, Jones reminded everyone of his accomplishments in the UFC octagon in response to the Makhachev is the GOAT" conversation.
Jon Jones questions Islam Makhachev’s place in the UFC GOAT list
Jones took to X and shared a post that contains a graphic ranking of UFC fighters by title fight victories, with him sitting at 16 title fight wins, below him is George St-Pierre at 13 wins, while Makhachev appeared at 12.
‘Bones’ shared the post with a sarcastic caption, writing, “Hopped on social media and heard there was a new goat? I’m so confused, make it make sense”
