Dana White Named Greatest Fighter In UFC History Without Leaving McGregor And Khabib

UFC president Dana White recently appeared on Hotboxin with co-host Mike Tyson and DJ Whoo Kid. The trio spent an hour covering topics ranging from the Philadelphia vs. Boston bout to the development and future of UFC.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a conversation between two friends in their house. Because Tyson and White were laughing and joking at ease. The respect between the two was evident from the start. And White spends the early part touching on their friendship and talking about Tyson’s influence in the world beyond the boxing ring and UFC.

“You’re an amazing f***** human, you’re such a big part of pop culture,” the UFC head of football told the heavyweight legend. And can you blame him? Iron Mike is one of the biggest names in esports. Not just sports But also pop culture. as White said

Listeners also get insight into behind-the-scenes conversations, such as Dana White recalling how he was “against” the veteran boxer who fought Roy Jones in 2020. That is, until Tyson called White directly and told him to stop undermining the fight. “He told me he was a man now. And he can decide for himself,” White revealed.

Video: Full Podcast with Mike Tyson and Dana White

In the conversation, one of the most revealing questions and interesting points was when White was asked who were his top five all-time UFC fighters. It’s a very difficult question to answer. Especially when you’re the head of an entire organization. It’s actually very difficult. Even though five people were asked But White named Seven.

Dana White’s Greatest UFC Fighter of All Time

“It’s hard to do. Because when you look at the 23 years I’ve been in it, There are many great fights… But you have to start with Jon Jones,” White said as he began his show.

Jon “Bones” Jones holds the record for youngest UFC champion when he defeated Mauricio Rua at age 23 in 2011. Since then Jones was also one of the most successful fighters and expanded MMA’s reach. In 2012, he became the first MMA fighter to be sponsored by Nike on a global scale. years later

Victory over Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight crown undoubtedly makes him one of the all-time greats in the sport.

“There are so many that it’s hard to choose,” White said.

But other names were thrown into the conversation when co-host DJ Whoo Kid quietly mentioned he had Conor McGregor on his list.

“This is all good,” White said before expanding his roster to Ronda Rousey, undoubtedly one of the greatest names in UFC history.

Rousey dominated the ring and took home multiple awards, beating Floyd Mayweather for Best Fighter ESPY in 2015. Her iconic arm moves have become something she’s known for. But her unchanging personality attracts fans. Lots and lots and lots of driving force in elevate women’s sports

“You’ve got to have Amanda Nunes,” White continued, referring to her. “The Greatest Female Fighter of All Time”

Nunes, who was the first woman to become a Division Two champion, broke multiple records and was number one when she retired earlier this year. Her position as the best female fighter is relatively unchallenged due to her prominence in the sport. But now she’s retired. There was room for another fighter to replace her.

While White had no doubts about the mention of Nunes, Rousey or Jones, the debate kicked off as the three men debated who else would be on the list.

“How can you not have Uthman?” White added as he seemed to think out loud.

Kamaru Usman made his UFC debut in 2015 and competes in the welterweight division. He has had great success in the UFC as a former UFC Welterweight Champion and winner of the UFC Fighter 21 tournament. The Nigerian-American fighter lost his first fight in the UFC in 2022 against Leon Edwards and lost to Edwards. The second time in March this year at UFC 286 for the UFC welterweight Championship.

Afterwards, White pauses a bit when he hints at UFC history, admitting that the fighters he’s mentioned so far are relatively new.

“Think of a strong man. Those in the past,” Tyson nudged and White nodded in agreement, referring to legendary American fighter Chuck Liddell.

Conversations could go on for hours, and listeners felt that the entire podcast might focus on the top five UFC fighters’ debates.

But in the end, White admitted that it was too difficult to limit UFC’s history to just five titles.

“If you look at the generations “It’s hard to pick five all-time great fighters.

“Matt Hughes has to be on this list… Then you can look at the other Brazilian players that come in.

But while White may have had trouble contending with just picking five names, some famous people didn’t cross his lips during the conversation.

Dana White is extremely neglectful.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor were two vulnerabilities in the conversation that fans immediately picked up on.

But interestingly, the UFC president was asked the same question in an interview by GQ in 2022, and his answer looked slightly different. Rousey and Jones were still mentioned, but White also included Anderson Silva, McGregor and Georges St. -Pierre, whose name was left untouched during the podcast.

Some fans were surprised at the sidelines of McGregor and Khabib with their fighting history and global appeal. But in the aforementioned interview last year, White answered a question about whether Khabib Nurmagomedov could be considered a “GOAT”. despite retiring during the Prime Minister’s time But it’s hard to say. because he believes that Russians only “Retire too early” to be part of that conversation.

The Russian fighter retired in 2020 as he said he wanted to devote more time to his family. Khabib is the longest-reigning UFC champion ever. It held the position from April 2018 to March 2021, but for White, his career longevity or absence. It means he can’t have serious conversations with top UFC fighters.

White was quick to mention McGregor in 2022, but when asked the same question a year later. The Irish weren’t involved in White’s conversation at all.

This may surprise fans because it seems that Conor McGregor and UFC have been holding hands for many years as the charm of “Champ Champ” attracts millions of people around the world.

McGregor used some intense viewing power during his time in the UFC, his name on all the fight cards. But millions of views are guaranteed. He broke viewership records and is credited with turning casual fans into regular sports watchers. White senses McGregor’s financial pull during the podcast. when he noticed that “The greatest battle of all time is between Conor and Floord. [Mayweather]” which has 4.3 million pay-per-view purchases.

for commercial reasons alone Surprisingly, White didn’t even touch McGregor’s influence. But above all, Notorious was an undeniably successful fighter. He was the first UFC fighter to hold championships in two weight divisions simultaneously in the feather and lightweight divisions.

White mentioned seven names during the conversation, and there were still no mentions of McGregor or Khabib, or even George St-Pierre, whom he also mentioned in his 2022 GQ interview.

After discussing some of the greatest fights in history, Tyson and White discuss the sport’s dominance and its growth in recent years. “This is a new combat sport that people are practicing.

“There’s something about these new fights and fights that captures the imagination of people around the world,” White says. since the growth during COVID in which White plays an important role And the popularity of the sport cannot be ignored.

“It’s everywhere now,” White said. “If Mike Tyson is 13 years old, this is the sport he should practice.”

Although White makes convincing arguments, But Tyson wasn’t so sure: “I don’t know if they stepped on my foot. I’m going to get kicked out,” he joked.

The conversation between the three men comes to a straightforward end when White notices the time on DJ Whoo Kid’s phone and realizes he’s having another meeting.

“I have a meeting at 12:30 p.m. I have to go,” White said, but had yet to congratulate Tyson again on his achievement. “I would love to see you f****** kick brother*. *