UFC president Dana White believes that UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is on the GOAT trajectory as MMA’s greatest fighter of all time.
Topuria returns to the Octagon this Sunday when he battles Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 for the undisputed lightweight title. Topuria, who is the champion, has not fought since last June, since a KO win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 due to personal issues. With Topuria out, the UFC created an interim lightweight belt, which Gaethje won when he upset Paddy Pimblett in January at UFC 324.
Now, they meet this weekend at the UFC White House card in what is expected to be one of the most-viewed MMA fights of all time.
Dana White Believes Ilia Topuria is on Track to Be the GOAT
Speaking to TNT Sports, White was asked how far Topuria can go in the sport. Topuria is undefeated with a perfect 17-0 record, including an unblemished 9-0 mark in the UFC. He is the former UFC featherweight champion and currently the UFC lightweight champion. Right now, he is the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter behind UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, someone he could fight next if he gets past Gaethje on Sunday at the White House.
It all adds up to one of the best resumes we’ve ever seen in MMA, and White believes it has Topuria in the GOAT talks, though he still has work to do.
“What’s even crazier is that Topuria came in here as a submission guy. That’s what he was known for,” White said of the lightweight champion, who has knocked out future UFC Hall of Famers Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski in his last three fights.
“Then he’s just standing with these guys who are monsters, like Volk, and knocks him out, which people were blown away. But little did we know, it was just the beginning.
“If Ilia Topuria — still a young guy, lots of things to accomplish — this kid keeps on this trajectory, GOAT talk. You could start talking about GOAT.”
Dana White Has Said Jon Jones is MMA’s GOAT
While White said that Topuria could put himself in the GOAT talks if he keeps winning, the UFC president has always maintained that former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones is the greatest fighter of all time.
Having said that, White did mention recently that he believes Alex Pereira, who takes on Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in an attempt to win a third UFC title, could jump into the GOAT talks as well. So while White has always said Jones is the GOAT, it appears that he is willing to let others into the conversation.
This weekend at UFC Freedom 250, we have Topuria battling Gaethje and Pereira battling Gane. Both are massive fights, not only for their careers right now, but for their legacies in the sport, so let’s see how these fights play out and if both men can add to their already amazing career accolades inside the Octagon.
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