Renowned MMA coach Jon Kavanagh, best known for guiding the career of Conor McGregor, has revealed his personal “Mount Rushmore” of mixed martial arts legends. The list, which Kavanagh shared during a recent interview , has caused quite a stir in the MMA community due to its unexpected selections.
Kavanagh’s choices for the MMA Mount Rushmore include four stars who have significantly impacted the sport, but may not be the first names that come to mind for many fans. The coach’s selections showcase a deep appreciation for the technical aspects of the sport and the fighters who have revolutionized various disciplines within MMA.
“Unsurprisingly I’m going to name Conor first because he became the first, simultaneous two weight world champion. That’s no small feat, but also what he did for the game in general, his general introduction of MMA to a whole world who would have never seen it really. He’s the first and maybe the only one to truly cross over into let’s say normal life and obviously now he’s in movies as well. A lot of people to be thankful that if you’re involved in the MMA industry, you probably had a few guys walk into your gym because of Conor’s influence.
“Number two I’ll say Fedor Emelianenko. He’s one of my favourite fighters of all time. Incredible Russian fighter. I’m going to say BJ Penn, another two weight world champion. Incredible skill set. At four I have to go for Anderson Silva. I think some record number of title defences and just so skillful, you watch him back in the day when he was fighting someone who’s a kind of a friend of mine, Forrest Griffin. Forrest is so tough, so durable, so good and Anderson made the poor guy look like he’d never trained. He has amazing skills. At five I will say Ronda Rousey and not just for her amazing victories in the UFC, but the fact that she really introduced women’s MMA to the world. Dana was pretty headstrong all those years saying he would never have women in MMA. And I think he took one look at her and said, let’s get women in MMA. So, there we go. That’s my five.”
Notably absent from Kavanagh’s list are names like Jon Jones, and even UFC 1 pioneer Royce Gracie. This omission has led to speculation about the criteria Kavanagh used to make his selections, with some suggesting he prioritized attention and long-term impact over raw skill.
The MMA community has been abuzz with reactions to Kavanagh’s choices. Some praise the coach for his nuanced understanding of the sport’s history and evolution, while others argue for the inclusion of more recent dominant champions.
