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Volkanovski Names His Top 5 UFC Legends—Excludes Jones

3/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

Alexander Volkanovski, UFC featherweight champion, named his top five greatest UFC fighters of all time, excluding Jon Jones.
He listed Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Islam Makhachev, Israel Adesanya, and Anderson Silva.
He justified ranking Islam Makhachev over Khabib Nurmagomedov by citing Makhachev's victories over Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.
Adesanya is often overlooked in GOAT discussions, but Volkanovski says he deserves recognition.

History

Historical Context

The UFC Hall of Fame was established in 2013 to honor significant contributors to mixed martial arts, including Randy Couture and B.J. Penn. This initiative coincided with a 300% increase in pay-per-view buys from 2005 to 2012, reflecting the sport's growing popularity. Current rankings, such as those of Alexander Volkanovski, continue to fuel discussions about fighter legacies and the sport's evolution.

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Story summary

Alexander Volkanovski, UFC featherweight champion, named his top five greatest UFC fighters of all time, excluding Jon Jones.
He listed Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Islam Makhachev, Israel Adesanya, and Anderson Silva.
He justified ranking Islam Makhachev over Khabib Nurmagomedov by citing Makhachev's victories over Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.
Adesanya is often overlooked in GOAT discussions, but Volkanovski says he deserves recognition.

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