UFC CEO Dana White answered the question usually asked to almost every fighter of prominence at least once in their careers: who’s on your Mount Rushmore when it comes to UFC fighters?
Because White is the face of the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world, his picks for the four spots on the fictitious mountain carry more weight than perhaps anyone else who has been asked this question.
Who did White select?
“Got to go with Jon Jones,” White said. “You have to go with Ronda Rousey. Women would not be fighting in the UFC if it wasn’t for her. You would have to put GSP (Georges St-Pierre) in there. And absolutely positively Conor McGregor. He elevated and changed the game globally.”
Here is a look at the short segment originally posted by ESPN MMA on Instagram:
As you might expect, he had Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion, in his No. 1 spot.
White has been championing Jones as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world for more than a year and arguing with media members who say the legend hasn’t been active enough to continue to hold that title. No matter the opinion on whether Jones should still be in the pound-for-pound conversation or not, he is a no-brainer for the Mt. Rushmore conversation–yes, even with the failed tests.
If you understand the details, you know why none of those things should disqualify him.
White rounded out his other three spots with Rousey, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, St-Pierre, the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, and McGregor, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.
GSP falls into the same category as Jones. It’s really tough to argue their placement on the list, as both are all-time greats. Rousey’s case isn’t as straightforward. While her career was relatively short by the standards associated with the other greats of the sport (14 fights in five years), her impact on MMA will be felt for as long as the sport exists.
White mentioned that she is the sole reason he decided to start a women’s division in the UFC. The rest is history. That said, has she really had a better career than Amanda Nunes? Almost no one ruled their division–while also winning a title in a second division–like Nunes.
It feels strange to leave her off the list. McGregor’s case is similar to Rousey’s because his impact has been immeasurable. He is MMA’s first true global superstar. While McGregor had a relatively short prime in MMA, he accomplished a lot during that time, including capturing titles in two weight classes and winning fights in three different divisions.
When you group McGregor’s impact with the titles in two divisions, it’s tough to omit him. The real area for scrutiny is Rousey’s spot.
A strong argument could be made for Nunes, Anderson Silva (one of the greatest middleweight champions ever and a fighter who inspired countless others, including Israel Adesanya), Demetrious Johnson (the longest reigning champion in UFC history), and Daniel Cormier (a two-division champion who only failed to defeat one fighter in his entire career, and that’s Jones).
You have to remember there are only four spots, and someone of prominence will be left out. However, from White’s perspective and based on what he values as a CEO, President, and promoter, his list makes all the sense in the world.
Everyone on White’s list is a needle-mover with fans. Cash rules everything around me.
