In a recent interview, Dana White announced his current Mount Rushmore of MMA fighters. This has come under scrutiny by some fans seemingly mistaking his list for the “greatest” fighters of all time. Alternatively, we feel this list implies Dana’s opinion on who has had the biggest impact on the sport in and outside of the octagon. Speaking to First Take on September 9, he lists Jon Jones (to no surprise), Ronda Rousey, GSP, and Conor McGregor as his Mount Rushmore. Jon Jones making the list is no surprise, with Dana persistently praising the heavyweight champion as of late. Dana has also been adamantly promoting Jon’s greatest of all-time status recently ahead of his matchup with the heavyweight goat Stipe Miocic. Despite his ongoing controversies and supposed ducking of Tom Aspinall, Jones is a must on any Mount Rushmore for MMA fans with his longevity and championship wins.
The inclusion of Ronda Rousey may come as a shock to newer MMA fans, some stating Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko deserve a spot over Rousey, however, she is widely considered a pioneer for women’s MMA and had an incredible run. Rousey brought many new eyes to the sport and was the first big female star in MMA. Dana exclaimed if it wasn’t for her, women would not be fighting in the UFC. Regardless of her falloff and poor performances towards the end of her UFC run, the eyes she brought and the attention to women’s MMA makes her incredibly worthy of a spot on his Mount Rushmore. Her crossover into WWE and various movie roles also complements the UFC and the heights women’s MMA has reached.
A staple on everyone’s Mount Rushmore list has to be Georges St-Pierre and the fans seem to agree with Dana on this one. Certainly the greatest welterweight champion of all time, “Rush” was a juggernaut in the division and left a legendary mark on the UFC. GSP, like Jones, left the sport as one of the most accomplished martial artists of all time and showed he had mastered all forms of combat, rather than being a linear fighter like we often see in the sport. His kind and calm demeanour outside of the cage made him a fan favourite and as his title wins stacked up, so did his popularity over the years. Winning titles in two divisions and eventually defeating every opponent he has ever faced are just a few of the reasons why we are not surprised he is sitting comfortably on Dana’s Mount Rushmore.
The final name on Dana’s list has some fans arguing over whether or not he deserves to be placed amongst these greats. Despite his recent controversies and antics outside of the octagon, it is undeniable Conor has to be placed on a Mount Rushmore. Dana is not saying Conor is one of the “greatest” pound-for-pound fighters by including him here, he is insinuating his impact on the UFC and his elevation of the sport is what makes him worthy. No one can dispute the eyes Conor has brought to the sport and the effect he has had on MMA culture with fans and fighters imitating him and striving to accomplish the heights he reached. He has inspired both the fans and fighters with his legacy and financial prosperity changing the sport forever. Alongside this, he displayed a legendary journey to the title and had one of the best title-winning performances of all time. Conor’s endeavours in and out of the cage brought millions of eyes to the sport and is still the biggest draw in the UFC and the first double champ. It is no surprise Dana has included Conor on his list. We certainly hope to see him in the octagon again even though he appears to be currently living his best life on his super yacht. Whilst we anticipate returns from two of Danas Rushmore members Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, our fans can enjoy UFC 306 at the Sphere, which White has consistently praised and has everyone excited for a very new and game-changing event.
