Seven Super Bowl rings and five MVP awards built Tom Brady’s reputation as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. His understanding of sustained excellence, forged over 23 seasons, gives weight to his opinions on athletic greatness across all sports.
That perspective recently extended to mixed martial arts when Brady sat down with MMA media personality Nina-Marie Daniele. The conversation was captured on video, and took place during the opening of Brady’s 10th CardVault location at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
When asked to name his MMA GOATs, Brady’s response came without hesitation.
“Jon Jones and Khabib. Love both,” he said.
Both names represent different paths to greatness. Jones constructed his legacy through more than a decade of dominance, controlling the light heavyweight division before eventually claiming the heavyweight championship.
Khabib Nurmagomedov offers a contrasting narrative. The Dagestani lightweight champion retired undefeated at 29-0, leaving the sport at the peak of his powers. His grappling-heavy approach and suffocating pressure made him nearly impossible to beat, culminating in his memorable submission victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229 that cemented his place in combat sports history.
The discussion took an unexpected turn when Daniele posed a hypothetical scenario: if aliens threatened Earth, which fighters would Brady select for its defense?
Once again, Brady had his answer ready.
“Khabib, Jon Jones and Cormier. I love ‘DC’. It’s hard to love ‘DC’ and Jon, but I love both,” he said.
The addition of Daniel Cormier, a former two-division champion and current UFC commentator, highlighted one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries. Cormier and Jones faced each other in matchups that became deeply personal, creating tension that still resonates with fans today.
