MMA GOAT Debate – How Far Off Are Current UFC Champions? (Part 1)

With that being said, Weili has been equally as dominant. She not only beats her opponents, but she does so at their own game. Although there is some debate, Magnum is all but clear.

Flyweight (Women’s)

Current Champion – Valentina Shevchenko
GOAT – Valentina Shevchenko

No debate. Until the division is older, there cannot be a discussion. Valentina Shevchenko has carried the division on her back, been the face of the division and made no fewer than eight title defences across two reigns. Although she lost the belt to Alexa Grasso, she was able to get it back in their trilogy bout. The true sign of greatness.

Bantamweight (Women’s)

Current Champion – Kayla Harrison
GOAT – Amanda Nunes

This one is an interesting one. Amanda Nunes is without a doubt the GOAT, not only of the bantamweight division, but of women’s MMA as a whole. She was a two-weight world champion, put on exciting fights and has beaten every bantamweight champion (apart from the current champion) in history. She’s notched no fewer than 17 career finishes and has been dominant in almost every fight.

Kayla Harrison is an exciting prospect, which seems strange to say about a world champion. With that being said, she only has three UFC fights and has defeated two former champions in Holly Holm and Juliana Pena. Did she come to the UFC a little too late to be considered in the MMA GOAT debate? Maybe. But she certainly made a big name for herself in the PFL.

With any luck, we can settle the debate of who is better, Nunes or Harrison and with further luck, it could take place on the White House Lawn…

Flyweight

Current Champion – Alexandre Pantoja
GOAT – Demetrious Johnson

There is a serious debate to be had here, however, recency bias may play a factor.

Demetrious Johnson is one of the greatest fighters to grace the UFC octagon. He was the inaugural UFC flyweight champion, stringing together a promotional record of 11 straight title defences. His tenure as champion lasted an incredible 2,142 days. Along that run he finished seven of 11 opponents in a variety of different ways and was dominant throughout.

Alexandre Pantoja is on his way to becoming a legend. He’s criminally underappreciated as a champion and has strung together four straight title defences. He’s notched six post fight bonuses and has dominated every opponent that has stepped in his path as champion. The 35 year old could reasonably have put pressure on Johnson’s record if he’d come to the championship earlier in his career.

A dream match-up would be for Pantoja and Johnson to clash in their primes. Unfortunately, that’s not possible; however, it’s exciting to consider the prospect.

Bantamweight

Current Champion – Merab Dvalishvili
GOAT – Dominick Cruz

The UFC bantamweight GOAT debate is a highly contested one. There are a number of different potentials who could claim to be the greatest 135er of all time. We have Dominick Cruz, the first bantamweight champion. He made two defences, relinquished the belt due to injury, returned, won the belt and made a single defence before losing it.

Aljamain Sterling also has a good argument. He made three defences of his bantamweight title and although he won it originally in controversial circumstances, he put a stamp on the division once the belt was his.

The current champion, Merab Dvalishvili can also put his name in the hat as the GOAT. He has made two defences of his title, been dominant in each and has been equally dominant outside of title bouts. He’s riding a 14 fight winning run, the longest in bantamweight history and has beaten four former UFC champions. He also holds the joint record for the most title defences at 135lbs along with Sterling. Is he the GOAT, isn’t he? It’s a tough one but with another dominant win, there will be no denying it.

Featherweight

Current Champion – Alexander Volkanovski
GOAT – ?

Who is the GOAT of the featherweight division? The first champion, Jose Aldo? The man who is undefeated at featherweight and defeated Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor? The long-time dominant fan favourite, Max Holloway? Alexander Volkanovski, the man who has made a number of title defences and has only lost once at featherweight? Or is it Ilia Topuria, a man who knocked out both Holloway and Volkanovski?

It’s a tough question for sure. We can rule out McGregor as he didn’t make a single title defence, and Topuria, who only made one. Holloway only made three, although he was dominant in each, he has also lost to two of the people on the debate list, Volkanovski and Topuria.

Alexander Volkanovski beat Holloway for the belt, made five defences and, although he lost it, he won the vacant title back against another killer in Diego Lopes. Fight Matrix have him ranked #2 behind Jose Aldo. The interesting thing is that he defeated Aldo in 2019.

Aldo is certainly the front-runner for the MMA GOAT debate at featherweight. He was the first champion, made seven straight title defences and has eight PPV headline slots to his name. He also competed on the UFC 200 card where he won his second featherweight title.

The debate still looms large at 145lbs, but if Volkanovski can go on a second run, he takes the debate out of the question.