Speaker A
What up y'all? If you want to rerank our best UFC fighters of all time list, download the Complex app, rerank them, and show us how you did in the comments down below.
Conor McGregor discusses and reranks the best UFC fighters of all time, sharing his views on top fighters and his upcoming fight.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Conor McGregor believes he is the greatest UFC fighter based on his body of work and impact.
- Jon Jones and George St. Pierre are respected but critiqued on various metrics.
- Rematches and redemption fights are important factors in ranking fighters.
- McGregor is confident about his upcoming fight and his ability to beat top contenders.
- The rankings are subjective and open to debate, encouraging fan interaction.
What the video covers
- Conor McGregor joins Complex's Rank show to rerank the best UFC fighters of all time.
- McGregor challenges the original rankings, asserting himself as the greatest UFC fighter.
- Discussion includes top fighters like Jon Jones, George St. Pierre, and others.
- McGregor critiques fighters for lack of courage, flexibility, and fight metrics.
- He highlights his upcoming rematch with Max Holloway on July 11th.
- McGregor debates the importance of rematches and redemption in UFC history.
- He questions the boxing skills and physicality of Jon Jones.
- The conversation covers fighters’ knockout counts, fight records, and career longevity.
- McGregor emphasizes his competitive mindset and readiness for future fights.
- The video includes interactive elements encouraging viewers to rerank fighters via the Complex app.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and reranking invitation
- 01:06Initial banter and setting up the rerank
- 02:08Discussion on Jon Jones as best UFC fighter
- 02:59Evaluating George St. Pierre's legacy
- 04:49Debate on rematches and fighter courage
- 05:54Critique of fighters' skills and rankings
- 07:14Conor's views on specific fighters and their records
- 09:10Introduction of Demetrious Johnson and other fighters
- 10:52Power ups and swapping ranks
- 19:06Closing remarks and McGregor's fight mindset
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
This is [ __ ] This list, to be honest, that is not martial arts. That is nothing to me. Now, I'm in competition mode here. You see, I can tell we're bringing the Mac Daddy, baby. I'm home. The Mac is back.
Speaker A
What up y'all? For Complex. I'm Jordan Rose and you are watching Rank. It is a show with electrifying lists and even more electrifying guests. And today I might be joined with the most electrifying, the most notorious former lightweight featherweight champion of
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the world. Conor McGregor is in the building, my brother. How you feeling? What's up, my man? What's up, Complex?
Speaker A
Good to be here. Thanks for having me, man. I'm glad we got you in the building because the list we're going to be discussing today is the best UFC fighters of all time. M a list that you didn't quite agree with
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when we first published it. Yeah, for sure. You know, it touched a nerve. It hit a nerve. So, I fired a shot. It's what the M does.
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You fired a shot. You said we need to stick to mixtapes, but I'm hoping you said you unfollowed us. This is going to get us the followback. Okay.
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Go on. Go on. Yeah. So, basically how this is going to go is we're going to be looking at the top 10. We're going to go one spot at a time. You're going to say, you're going to tell me if we got it right or not. If
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you disagree with us, you can choose to have somebody move up or down. So, we're going to start at number one. Who do you think we have as the best UFC fighter?
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Me of all time. Me. It should be me. It should be me. My body of work and the magnitude I've put this company and this game on and the heights I've reached. It's only me, you know. It's only me. Our number one,
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let's just reveal it is the man himself, John Bones. Jones, what is John looks very soft there. I don't know about you, man. That's that's not number physicality is not number one there anyway.
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But look, where is he now? Where is he now? It's who's left, baby. You get me?
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It's the pain game. Who can outlast? Who can stay longest? And here I am still.
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Maybe why is might have thought I could be placed in a position that has tried to place me. It's only fuel to my fire.
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And I come back on July 11th. I'm very excit excited to showcase that none of these boys including John here with his history is not on my level. But you know, you can respect that, you know, Jones, youngest UFC champion.
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Yeah. Really dominant in his time when he was in the octagon, most widely would agree on is the best.
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Would you could you see where we coming from with us putting him at one?
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He's got eight knockouts. I've got 19. You know, I look the metrics. I understand what you're saying and I understand the greatness of John for sure, but the metrics it it's hard to weigh it all up with the metrics.
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There's always variables that alter it entirely. I can see it. I can see what you're saying. For sure. You can see what you're saying. For sure.
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Okay. So, let's look let's reveal our second spot. George St. Pierre GSP. That's our number two.
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George is also great. Again, metrics again. Dazzling finishes, big KOs. How many? None. Not many. Six, seven, eight.
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These guys are sub 10 knockouts. But something, you know, a lot of a lot of decisions, a lot of a lot of stalling, a lot of holding, a lot of not taking the risks.
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Mhm. You look at my body of work and it's straight to the fire. There's no tuning up. there's getting almost messed with on the outside of the game, stalling my career, and then what do I come back to
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a tuneup? Do I come back for for a um for a gimme fight like most do? No.
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Never. Not once. In fact, I go straight into the fire. George had an opportunity to give birth to the super fight against Anderson Silva. And he hadn't the courage.
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He had not got the courage to go from 170bs up to the middleweight division.
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and until I had done it and then many years later he picked his good moment that the correct opponent presented itself. But I again I see the greatness of it. I see I see it somewhat. You know to defend GSP slightly though you also
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can respect the the the power and importance of redemption. The two losses he has Matt Hughes Matt Sarah he beat both of them after losing to them.
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Love it. Bravo to Matthews and Matt Sarah for granting a rematch cuz it takes great courage to grant a man a rematch.
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It takes great courage. It's very hard. It's in fact it's a lot more difficult to beat a man twice a second time than it is the first time. It's another world of a fight. Did George ever do it? Did
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John ever do it? I know they've had very close bouts. Was their opponents granted? Was these opponents granted a rematch? Yet they were. These are all metrics that factor in.
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You're in a rematch, too. July 11th, Max Holloway, a decade in the over a decade in the making. What made you comfortable in this return fight to have this rematch? I'm comfortable in the uncomfortable. You know, they picked the
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opponent. I beat him before. I have a date. I'm happy it's Holloway. We had a great bout our first time around. He's done some good work in the octagon after, as have as have I. It's a great martial art fight for the fans. An
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iconic one and another one that I'm at the helm of, right? I mean, look, we wasn't me. So, I'm happy with that.
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You know, the UFC loves rematches, but now I'm in competition mode here. You see, I can tell you catch me. You catch me maybe a couple a couple of months back probably different. You know, I I come differently here, but I'm about to fight
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here. I'd beat George. I'd beat John. You get me? I'd find ways to beat John.
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John can't box. John can't box. John's a big guy. John can't box. John can stomp the knee.
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John's main body of work from me is most successful stuff is a stumps. That's spinning elbow though for He's a few moves. Come on then. I'll give him a few moves.
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I'll give him a few. He can box a little. He can box a little. Yeah.
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So that's a one and two, right? We'll leave it. Seems like we're going to leave him as is for now.
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We're going to have Johnny here now as well. No problem. As well, no problem.
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We're going to keep rolling down this list. I'm I'm getting scared. If you go down in the list, I'm sure you're going to come to a few names.
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Can't even kick above their [ __ ] knee. Can't even kick Can't even touch their feet.
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You know, have not not flexibility or dexterity than the body. That is not martial arts. That is nothing to me.
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The next person, uh, we hear it all night. Isn't too much of a kicker, more of a wrestler at our three spot.
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Come on. The guy done nothing in the sport. He got nothing in the sport. 13 fights he's had in the company. That's it. and three against named opponents.
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Three against I had a fight against me coming off of I was off the yacht. I was doing bad things on a yacht. Yeah. I don't want to I was partying heavily and I was up to my eyeballs in court cases
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and all of this. I hadn't fought in two years. I was worth 200 million. I come back and fight this [ __ ] guy. I done four rounds with him. I had a broken toe. I'm sure you've seen the Netflix
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show where I broke my [ __ ] foot three weeks before the belt. This guy's nothing then. Where is he now? Also, he's gone. So, I don't rate him at all.
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I don't rate him at all. No courage. The man has no courage. The man has succumbed to his pain and it is a damn shame. I have nothing to say to him.
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Nothing to say about him. I don't rate him. So, that means he's going to move down cuz if you think someone shouldn't be in the spot that they're at, you can never fought missed weight never fought above above weight divisions. Three
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fights, no stoppages, no knockouts. Come on, man. How many more knockouts has he got? [ __ ] three or four. You must be mad. You must be mad if I'm going to waste my [ __ ] time watching this
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[ __ ] Never lost though. He's never lost. His first half of his work was fighting in his father shows in the middle of nowhere in wherever they're from, right?
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He's like 12 and0. The opponent he's fighting is 0 and0. O and this isn't boxing.
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Okay, I don't rate him. I don't not rate him. Well, GSP stays at two. Let's show the number four spot. Demetrius Marty Mouse Johnson. Probably the greatest flyweight fighter of all time.
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Japanese Johnson. Demetrius is Japanese. I don't know whether he's Did you know that? I I Japanese Johnson. Look, I I put him above Habib and I put him above George.
Speaker A
Why would you put him above George? Body of work, finishes, motion through the weight divisions, speed, IQ. He's more tools in the kit.
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He's more tools in the kit. Okay. So, Demetrius Johnson moves up. Khabib continues to slide down. We get to our number five spot. Amanda Nunes, the greatest woman fighter of all time in our opinion. What do you think?
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Sensational fighter. Exciting, dangerous, and game. Mhm. Some of these boys here are not game.
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That's a game woman. You do you rate her above Habib? Yeah, I do. Jewel champion.
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Wow. All right. Well, then Amanda, she moves up. So, this is your top five. We'll get back.
Speaker A
This is not my top five. This is your top five. This is our combined top five. This is our reworked top five. We talked a little bit just now about Max Holloway.
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July 11th, your return to the sport, which I think everybody's really excited about, but talk about also moving back to welterweight, how the training has been different, how the preparation has been different, fighting in this different way, especially as it being
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your return. This, you see, this is where I have the advantage. Holloway has never faced a man at 170 lbs. He's never fought himself at 170 lbs. There's adjustments to make and I've and I learned that firsthand in the
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fire. Mhm. In my fight when I was UFC featherweight world champion, 145 lbs, fighting for the 155 lb world title where the champion pulled out on me and I was left with no option but to face a 170 lb man,
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145 pound champion to 170. So I had adjustments to make and it only was after that I learned the adjustments.
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the ability of the opponent to absorb the shots, the carrying the weight of yourself. Hollow has not experienced this and I plan to take full advantage of it.
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What are your thoughts on Justin pulling up pulling out what many thought was the upset against Ilia?
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I saw it as it as it went. I saw both the co-main and the main I saw the underdogs being tr troublesome and that they were so it was not a surprise to me. So now, as the game goes, we're
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going to go to our number 10 and number nine pick and work our way up the 10th best fighter in UFC history, Daniel Kier. And our nine spots, Alexander Vulcanowski.
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It's Look, I just I just It's just a no for me on Vulcanoski. Vulcganowski. I look whatever. Whatever.
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So DC DC DC I would pro DC is above above Vog. That's what DC said.
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Yeah, DC is above above Vog. I'd have to have a little t think on DC. Sometimes I'm like and then sometimes I'm like, you know, so I'd have to have a little think on him.
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What's Yeah. What's your immediate thoughts when you when you say that you think DC is above Vulk? Like what pushes you in that direction?
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He's gone through the weights. He's gone through the promotions. He's a multi multi-promotion world champion as am I.
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A multiweight world champion as am I. It's a decent style he's got. You know, this another thing you'll be seeing these number one featherweight of all time and hollow these guys that beat Aldo. I beat these guys. I [ __ ] fed
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away. It was This is the type of [ __ ] I'm dealing with. Not dealing with this.
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This makes me fire stick to the [ __ ] mixtape mixtapes. You know what I'm saying? Like do you get me? Like I'm saying I beat these guys at this weight. What are you talking about? For starters, I put my
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big paws in the face and mauled them and yet they're trying to be put above me.
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It is what it is. I suppose a bit of banter. It's a bit of fun.
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Well, no. Look, DC I Okay, so we'll put DC above Vogue. DC definitely has a very strong resume. DC succumb to his pain.
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Also, he went out in defeat. He got beat by Mioic twice. Your exit of the game and your current shape and state is important in this list also. It is to the box. This is to the grave with these men and me. But look,
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it's hard to list. It's hard to list with that. To DC's credit, he beat Stipe in his prime. He did lose to a more weathered version of him, but he beat him in his prime.
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Should have kept going. Should have kept going. Pan. What's paying? Pan is a sign to keep going. [ __ ] this. Keep going. We will keep going. DC moves up. So now he's at nine. And let's reveal our
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eighth spot. Islam Makashev. Some might say the current best, the current active. He's above Habib.
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He is above. Finishes body of work. Both divisions. For sure he is. But look, many still in it. Still at it. that all there's a little bit of um people are impressionable talking about like they're trying to get he they're talking
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to him to get out of there's a lot left in that boy there's a lot left in that boy and he should recognize that and keep going I have him above both his teammates there in Cormier and okay so Islam will stay where he is move
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up to our seventh spot Valentina Chevchenko she is outstanding that woman that woman is an outstand standing combatant. And again, we look at where are they now?
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Where are they now? Amanda may have beaten her, but I'd probably rate her above Amanda.
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Really? I'm telling you, boys. I'm telling you, boys. Where are they now? Oh. Oh, she's good. She's dynamite. In fact, I'd have love to see her get the second crack. So, for right now, then we'll keep it as it is. So, Valentino will
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stay at seven. is almost day at eight. And there's only one spot left to reveal after that. On number six, I mean there's there's one name we haven't even brought up yet. I think you might know who it is. Our number six spot, Anderson
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the Spider Silva, who some might say is too low. Some might have him top three, top five. What do you think? Arguably the greatest middleweight fighter of all time. Has some great losses and wins.
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He's probably number one. Really? Buddy of Walk is outstanding. The stoppages, the excitement, the thrill of the man's and he's still again he's still going. So for you, it's really power that defines who's the best because No, it's not even power. It's, you know,
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you have to have dominance. He's up. He's up elbow knockouts. He's going down. Bang and broke guys faces.
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He has some amount of KOs, some amount of finishes on his record. I rate Anderson and I put him up there. They're all good fighters.
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So you would want to fight Jones. Would you want to fight Silva? I was rumored to fight Silva. Silva.
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Yeah. Really? Yeah. There was discussions on ongoing for sure. What weight were y'all going to meet at?
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I think there was talk maybe 170 lb. Maybe it would have been a catch between 170 185.
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Now that would be something. Yeah, it would. How do you think you'd fare in in that type of matchup in this day and age or any day and age? I'd farewell.
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Okay. So, Anderson Silva will stay at six. Valentino Senko will stay at seven. You know, there you go. So now this is your new reranked top 10. Give me your initial thoughts before we go into the powerups.
Speaker A
It's not my top 10. So these are all time. You understand? A lot of these guys are retired and gone. You understand? So there's no way there's no way you can have this list without having like a Hixon or or or a Boss Ron
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or you know guys that have done it back or a hoist even you know. There's no way you can have this list. This is This is a recency. This is [ __ ] This list to be honest a little bit. Look,
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it's a bit of fun having back and forth. It's not the real deal list. Let me let me go. Okay. So, let's get into the power up. So, now you can move people around more freely. The first power up
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being overrated where you could put someone who's in the top five and bring him to the bottom five. So, who in the top five, if any, do you think should move somewhere into the bottom five?
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Khabib for sure. Okay. So, Khabib, where would you put him in the bottom? Nine.
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Nine. nine. Okay. So, right above Vulcan's really that low though. Yeah. Yeah. My man, he's had three fights and he's had 30 fights, no finishes on. I don't rate him at all.
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And he's gone. He's gone. He's not He's not done enough. He's not done enough.
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You might have to get him out of retirement. We might need that that Listen, I know where I am. So, there you go.
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Okay. So, next is hot swap, which is kind of what you were referring to where you could swap two people on the list now. You could. So, who would you switch places with? You could switch two people's positions.
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Demetrius and George. Demetrius and George. Okay. So, you really rate DJ number two all time. This is what I am left with.
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Okay. And now the final power up, which is the one that I think you've been waiting for the most. Big snub where you can bring somebody into the top 10 who wasn't originally in the top 10.
Speaker A
I'm bringing the Mac Daddy, baby. I'm home. The Mac is back. So, we have a larger list of names.
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The Mac Daddy baby done it all. All weights, triple KOs, knockouts in featherweight knockouts and lightweight knockouts and welterweight. The only UFC combatant to do so, the first double champ and the man with all the records in the game.
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And the man that's still here, despite all the tribulations and all the trauma and all the attacks on my will and my character, I still stand here strong and returning with the biggest gate and the biggest excitement the game the game has
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seen in years. Put that back in there, baby. Okay. Now, where do you put yourself?
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I number one. Really? Really? over over listen see this [ __ ] you're going to see you're going to [ __ ] see the game ain't done yet you understand the game ain't done yet so you'll see and I love it rather than
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getting in and what melting I'm going to show you so you can put me in there and and leave it to me and I'll show you well there we have it Conor McGregor one now do you want me to do the rest of it
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two yeah so give me John three okay Demetrius Four, Chevhenko five, Nunez, six Makachev seven Cormier eight Hhabib nine and Volcanowski. Where's he still in? He's gone now.
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But he would be your 10. He he you bumped him out. He So he's no longer on the list. But Vulcanoski. Yeah. Well, there you go. I Yeah, I don't think so either.
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Why? I mean, Vulcanowski, I think, has an impressive resume, strength of schedule, and by the time he became UFC champion, had only lost recency, bit recency bias going on here.
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But by the time he became UFC champion, he had only lost three rounds, which is kind like that's a pretty crazy stat I'd say to have. By the time I became UFC champion, I done it inside of a round. If you add
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them all up, I done it inside one round. But also to to lose a round, lose three rounds. I done it in one round. I done the whole body of work in one [ __ ] round. I done Aldo and Cerrone inside of
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a minute. But look, to folks credit, also the few losses he has had are to like Islam to Ilia. Very impressive fighters.
Speaker A
Yeah, he's so they're all somewhere. They're all around. They're all in the mix. The gold in the bag. Yeah. I I just wanted you to get some rationale from us because I know when you first started this all a bit of banter where we can
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all go back and forth. You just want to have a g a bit of fun. No problem.
Speaker A
So this now when are we doing the mixtapes? Well, let's talk music now. Let's talk music. Put on a [ __ ] few tunes. I'm here to half an hour. This is going on long.
Speaker A
Put some put some I just want you put some biggie on, baby. THE MECH IS BACK.
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THE MAC IS BACK IN NEW YORK, BABY. GET THE biggie on. Get Biggie on.
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So that's your new top 10. I hope you now have a little more understanding and possibly a little respect for where we were coming from when we were ranking these people initially.
Speaker A
That's all love. Do you know what? I'll follow us back now. Yeah. AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED. AND NOW WHERE'S MY GUY?
Speaker A
I WANTED SEE MY See my air mags. I saw it. Who else is doing that? I'm not padwalking the [ __ ] Nike Air Max.
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They're actually nice. They're nice. Have the UFC cameras down. Well, look, there you have it. Auction boots now.
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Yeah, man. You don't have another pair in case you get a bit dirty, do you? HOW MUCH YOU NEED 20K? HOW?
Speaker A
You got to light you HAVE A LADDER. YOU GOT TO light the cigar like at least once.
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N you're saving it. I have a belt. You know, I need to be I need to be careful and you know, you know, that's so I I respect my team and their efforts that they put into me and I respect the fans.
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Sometimes I might not have, you know what I mean? And I had to I had to look at myself in the mirror and forgive forgive myself, you know what I mean, for falling into the pitfalls of fame and and and and certain things that
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happened. I won't do it again. So this Oh, chew on it. After the fight that we can blaze it up, my man. Yeah. After the fight, we'll blaze it up. Right.
Speaker A
Say less. Is there anything left you want to leave the people? July 11th, you Max Holloway 2, your re-rank list.
Speaker A
What's left to say? McGregor loves complex. I love what you guys do here. They're all across the board. A great uh a great a great crowd in in the culture and I'm witches all the way. McGregor for Complex.
Speaker A
OH, CLIP IT. And that's Rank for Complex. I'm Jonah Rose. That's Conor McGregor. We will catch you the next time.
Speaker A
Peace. Bang. My guy. Nice.
Topics:Conor McGregorUFCMMAJon JonesGeorge St. PierreMax HollowayUFC fighters rankingComplex appMMA debateUFC history
