Demetrious Johnson considers two main factors when discussing MMA GOAT, picks Jon Jones No. 1

The way Demetrious Johnson sees it, there are two main factors when considering who’s the greatest fighter of all time.

Johnson (30-3-1), who’s widely considered to be in the GOAT discussion himself, holds the record for most consecutive UFC title defenses with 11. He’s also the current ONE Championship flyweight grand prix champ.

The debate around the greatest fighters of all time is constantly changing, but Johnson thinks it comes down to a fighter’s well-rounded abilities, as well as his or here championship reigns.

Johnson’s top choice, he told MMA Junkie Radio, is former UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who’s used an array of skills to run through two generations of talent at 205 pounds while winning 14 straight championship fights (with one no contest) during separate reigns.

Johnson also brought up undefeated UFC champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Israel Adesanya, whom he thinks are on the right track but still have work to do.

“Jon Jones has gotta be No. 1 for me,” Johnson said. “His title reign, I’ve seen him train before, how he’s beaten so many great light heavyweights before. And then after that it starts to get cloudy, I’m not gonna lie. I think there are athletes that are on their way, like if Khabib would keep on fighting and do five or six or seven or eight more fights, then I’ll definitely throw him in.

“For me, I like to see longevity. I like to see dominance. Longevity is a big thing. When you look at Jon Jones, I think he’s 15 world title fights? That’s a lot of work of staying motivated, staying on top to keep on winning. I think Izzy is on his way. If he goes up to light heavyweight and beats the champion there, and he goes up to fight Jon Jones, he’s definitely on his way.”

Johnson explains that a fighter’s ability to excel wherever the fight goes is crucial when discussing the sport’s best fighters, which is why he gives props to former Dream and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and current Bellator middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi, who’s fought top-level competition throughout his career.

“Is it a popularity contest? What exactly puts you in that discussion of greatest of all time?” Johnson said. “For me, it’s longevity, how many championships have you done, a little bit of everything. For me, that’s why I put Gegard in there because when I watch him, I’m like, look at his hands, look at his grappling, look at his submissions. He can do it all.

“Jon Jones, look at his grappling, look at his hands, look at his submissions, look at how long he’s been a champion.”