Former heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has weighed in on the ongoing debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) in the UFC, providing his clear-cut perspective. Cormier ranks George St Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov at the top of the list while excluding Jon Jones and Anderson Silva due to failed doping tests.
Although some may see Cormier as bitter after losing to Jones, he said it’s due to the failed PED tests. In an episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast with his co-host Chael Sonnen, he said:
“George St Pierre is the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen if not Khabib Nurmagomedov at 28-0 with his titles and his title defenses. Those are the two guys that come down to me obviously and Chael (Sonnen) I dont like to put Anderson (Silva) and Jon (Jones) because I feel like when you get a bad test, you’re out of the equation for the greatest of all time.”
Cormier emphasizes longevity, accolades, and clean records as essential criteria for determining the GOAT status. Despite Jones and Silva’s remarkable records, Cormier believes that their doping controversies tarnish their legacy.
The topic of conversation in fact was Alex Pereira. By planning to move to the heavyweight division, Pereira is pushing the edge to become the organization’s first three-division champion. Cormier praised the bravery of the Brazilian and expressed his belief that should he succeed in snatching the heavyweight title, he would undoubtedly rank highly among the greatest of all time.
Alex Pereira is a former Glory kickboxing champion. He quickly established himself as one of the top contenders in the UFC.
He first took the MW title by beating Israel Adesanya, his rival at the time. A little time later, he made the move to LHW. There he won the title in a match against Jiří Procházka.
Pereira then easily defended his belt against Jamahal Hill as he struck the American in the chin during the first round.
The competitor then declared his intention to advance to the heavyweight division and challenge the other contenders. In response, Jones sent an invitation to Pereira which the Brazilian accepted.