In the UFC, a fighter’s legendary status is judged by many factors. But when it comes to defining true greatness, landing a spot on the Mount Rushmore always takes the cake! Sure, it’s a subjective topic. But ahead of his final walk at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier revealed the four fighters he believes made the biggest impact on the MMA world. Surprisingly, leaving out two of the sport’s most iconic names.
Conor McGregor might not be considered the greatest martial artist ever to grace the Octagon. Still, the Irishman often finds himself on many Mount Rushmore lists, thanks largely to his massive impact in turning the UFC into a global phenomenon. The same goes for Max Holloway and even Alexander Volkanovski, who are often included for their clean, consistent, and drama-free paths to greatness. However, ‘The Diamond’ has snubbed all of them from his list.
According to Poirier, his Mount Rushmore features former two-division champ Jon Jones, undefeated lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov, the great Canadian Georges St-Pierre, and a prime Anderson Silva. And if that wasn’t enough, he also gave honorable mentions to B.J. Penn and Fedor Emelianenko as an extension to his list.
‘The Diamond’ at The Danza Project Podcast’ stated, “Top four? Jones, Khabib, St. Pierre, and Anderson Silva in his prime, probably? I need more mountain man, cause Bj Penn in his prime was [awesome] Fedor Emelianenko. There so many legends out there, when they were in their prime, it was something special.”
MMA: UFC 302-Makhachev vs Poirier Jun 1, 2024 Newark, New Jersey, USA Islam Makhachev red gloves fights Dustin Poirier blue gloves during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Newark Prudential Center New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexCamporealex 20240602_szo_om2_0318
Dustin Poirier’s list was pretty solid. However, there has been plenty of debate around whether Jon Jones and Anderson Silva truly deserve a spot on the Mount Rushmore, given their history of failed drug tests. On the other hand, Georges St-Pierre has remained clean throughout their career (but there were some allegations), which is why he often earns unanimous nods from fans. Also with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
However, that’s not all.‘The Diamond’ also revealed a list of new-age fighters he’d actually turn on the TV to watch, and surprisingly, there’s one name on there that many wouldn’t expect. So, let’s take a closer look.
Dustin Poirier names Michael Chandler among the top UFC fighters to watch
Dustin Poirier loves to scrap, and that clearly shows in his list of favorite fighters to watch. ‘The Diamond’ kicked things off with current lightweight champ Ilia Topuria, praising his vicious power and knockout ability. He also named Justin Gaethje for his wild brawling style, Dan Hooker for his insane grit, and, surprisingly, Michael Chandler, the fighter he’s publicly clashed with the most for cheating, just because of his relentless fighting style.
During an interview with Helen Yee, the former interim lightweight champ stated, “ Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Dan Hooker, and I’m not a huge fan of him, but Michael Chandler. Any time he fights, I’ll watch.” That list is filled with absolute killers! And anybody would pay a dime to watch them get into slug-fests. However, he got a response from the ‘Iron’ as well.
Chandler even wrote on X, “We are slowly burying the hatchet. Great dude, just had some differences here and there. Legend. First ballot Hall of Famer.” But despite the appreciation, the beef between them hasn’t exactly cooled off. Still, in all honesty, both of Poirier’s lists feel rock solid in their own right.
With that being said, do you agree with Dustin Poirier’s Mount Rushmore picks and his list of must-watch fighters in the UFC right now? If not, drop your own list in the comments below, we’d love to hear it!
The post Dustin Poirier Snubs Conor McGregor and Max Holloway While Naming Questionable MMA Mount Rushmore Ahead of UFC 318 appeared first on EssentiallySports.