Conor McGregor Crowns Himself UFC’s Greatest Ever, Ranks Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in His Top 10 

Conor McGregor at UFC 205
Nov 12, 2016 - New York, New York, U.S. - Eddie Alvarez and Conor The Notorious McGregor during weigh-in at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden. MMA 2016 - UFC 205 - Weigh-In - ZUMAs277 20161111_shn_s277_409
by Kshitiz Kumar Singh

Conor McGregor fight week has finally arrived, and with it comes the bold, headline-grabbing claims that have long defined the Irish superstar. The former two-division UFC champion officially kicked off his media obligations ahead of his highly anticipated return against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday. It has been five years since fans last saw McGregor compete inside the Octagon. 

His last appearance came at UFC 264, where he suffered a second consecutive defeat to Dustin Poirier after breaking his ankle late in the opening round of their trilogy bout. Despite the lengthy layoff, McGregor wasted no time reigniting one of MMA’s oldest debates: the identity of the greatest UFC fighter of all time. While many fans point to legends such as Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, or Anderson Silva, ‘The Notorious’ unsurprisingly crowned himself as the sport’s greatest while unveiling his own all-time UFC top 10.

Speaking during a recent interview with Complex, McGregor dismissed several all-time greats in trademark fashion before declaring himself the undisputed GOAT. He said, “The Mac is back, done it all. Ahead of everyone else. No. 1! All weights triple KOs! Jon looks very soft. “Where’s he now? Who’s left, baby? It’s the pain game: who can melt last, who can stay the longest, and here I am still. None of these boys—including Jon, with all his history are on my level. He’s got eight knockouts; I’ve got 19. I’d beat Georges St-Pierre. I’d beat Jon. Jon can’t box.”

 

 

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McGregor also revealed that there were once discussions about a potential catchweight showdown against Anderson Silva, likely around the 170-pound mark. However, the biggest surprise came when he rearranged Complex’s list of the greatest UFC fighters ever to create his own rankings. His personal top 10 was:

  1. Conor McGregor
  2. Anderson Silva
  3. Jon Jones
  4. Demetrious Johnson
  5. Valentina Shevchenko
  6. Amanda Nunes
  7. Islam Makhachev
  8. Daniel Cormier
  9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
  10. Alexander Volkanovski

 

McGregor didn’t stop at naming himself the greatest fighter in UFC history. He also insisted that he is the greatest featherweight the promotion has ever seen. Speaking to Brett Okamoto, the Irishman questioned why his accomplishments at 145 pounds have often been overlooked despite victories over some of the division’s biggest names.

He said, “This rankings system of the greatest featherweights – that I’ve beaten these men, and haven’t been in the list. How have I beaten these men easily and handily, and yet been kept from the list? What is the skill, who is the greatest, who is the best? And, it is me. The results show this. It’s not like the fights weren’t there, it was just elsewhere. I am the greatest featherweight since Bruce Lee, and Saturday night I will show it.”

For context, McGregor compiled a perfect 7-0 record at featherweight, capturing the UFC title with his iconic 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194. However, he never defended the belt before moving permanently to lightweight and welterweight. Now, after half a decade away from competition, McGregor insists he is in the best possible frame of mind heading into his long-awaited return. Whether he can back up his latest wave of bold claims inside the Octagon against Holloway remains one of the biggest storylines heading into UFC 329.