The debate over the greatest fighter to ever step inside the Octagon continues to evolve. While Dana White has consistently backed Jon Jones as the GOAT, not everyone shares that view. Alexander Volkanovski is one of the latest to offer a contrasting take, recently revealing his personal top five fighters of all time, leaving ‘Bones’ notably absent from the list.
The Aussie did admit to having a degree of bias toward Oceanic fighters while breaking down his selections in a recent video on his YouTube channel. He said, “Top five UFC GOATs, I’m gonna be completely honest, Demetrious Johnson, I don’t know how many title fights he won, the competition and level at flyweight, I don’t think people understand, it is so competitive.”
Volkanovski’s first pick was a widely respected choice. Johnson is often regarded as one of the most technically complete fighters in MMA history. He reigned as UFC flyweight champion for nearly six years and holds the record for most consecutive title defenses (11), along with 13 straight wins during his dominant run.
His resume includes victories over elite names such as Henry Cejudo, Joseph Benavidez, and John Dodson. Beyond the UFC, Johnson also captured the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix and the ONE Flyweight gold, further cementing his legacy across promotions.
Volkanovski then turned to two more all-time greats in Georges St-Pierre and Islam Makhachev. He said, “Georges St-Pierre. Who else have we got? Man, you know what, I think Islam (Makhachev) has done enough to put himself in that conversation, I think I would put him there.”
🚨Alexander Volkanovski includes Islam Makhachev in his list of the top 5 greatest fighters of all time 🫡👏
“Islam has done enough to put himself in that conversation.”
(Via @alexvolkanovski ) pic.twitter.com/xA3XMH3nc7
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 18, 2026
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St-Pierre’s inclusion comes as no surprise. Widely praised for his strength of schedule, technical brilliance, and clean legacy, GSP dominated one of the toughest eras in welterweight history. He defeated legends across generations, including Matt Hughes (twice), B.J. Penn (twice), Nick Diaz, and Carlos Condit.
With just two losses in his career and that too avenged, he holds the record for most welterweight title defenses (9) and once set the mark for most UFC title fight wins (13), along with an incredible 33 consecutive round victories between 2007 and 2011.
As for Makhachev, the Dagestani standout has already defeated Volkanovski twice and is widely seen as the sport’s premier active fighter. With four successful title defenses at lightweight, a 16-fight win streak (tied with Anderson Silva), and now status as a two-division champion following his win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, his case as an all-time great continues to strengthen.
Volkanovski’s next pick reflected his admitted bias, as he selected his City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya, before rounding out the list with Anderson Silva. He added, “This might be bias but I’m gonna throw in Israel Adesanya. You’ve got to remember who he’s beat, beating Robert Whittaker in his prime twice.”
The 145lbs kingpin concluded with, “You’ve got Anderson Silva, obviously, who has done incredible things as well, and again, we have got to look at the timing as well. People might say it’s bias but alright, I’m bias anyway, but I’m throwing Izzy in there.”
Volkanovski also gave an honorable mention to Khabib Nurmagomedov, explaining that he ultimately favored Makhachev due to resume differences. Notably absent from the list, however, was Jon Jones. While many critics point to his failed drug tests as a reason to exclude him from GOAT conversations, Volkanovski did not address the omission directly.
Regardless, it remains difficult to ignore Jones’ accomplishments. With a record of 28-1 (1 NC), 16 title fight wins, and more than a decade of dominance at light heavyweight, ‘Bones’ still holds one of the strongest cases in MMA history. Even so, Volkanovski’s list reflects a well-rounded perspective, one that adds another compelling layer to the ever-evolving GOAT debate.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.