Jiri Prochazka names his top 5 fighters of all time including MMA legend who never competed in UFC

Jiri Prochazka, the former light heavyweight champion of the UFC, is one of the exciting fighters in the promotion. Scheduled to headline UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden against Alex “Poatan” Pereira, Jiri was asked to name the top 5 GOATs of MMA in a recent interview with RMC Sport Combat.

He provided 5 names very quickly and even named a fighter who had never competed in the UFC. Even though the UFC is now the premier MMA promotion in the world, it was not the case at the beginning. Nevertheless, Prochazka provided his top 5 GOATS of MMA and it was an interesting list.

Jiri Prochazka names his top 5 fighters of all time

The discussion about the MMA GOAT is highly subjective, with many basing their arguments on personal standards. Consequently, there’s no objective way to determine the MMA GOAT. Generally, names like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Demetrious Johnson are frequently mentioned in the MMA realm.

Jiri Prochazka’s top 5 list brought some surprises, including Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Charles Oliveira, Fedor Emelianenko, and Georges St. Pierre. Notably, while McGregor played a pivotal role in popularizing the UFC and held double championships, he lacks title defenses in either division.

Another surprising addition to Jiri Prochazka’s list was Charles Oliveira who during his featherweight years was hit and miss. However, he did have a storied run in the lightweight division but was easily defeated by Islam Makhachev. Nevertheless, Oliveira has the UFC record for most finishes and most submissions in the promotion.

Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre are frequent names in the GOAT debate. However, Jones has had issues with PEDs whilst St-Pierre was deemed to have fought lesser competition. Nevertheless, Fedor Emelianenko was the most surprising choice. However, it is not surprising when looking at the facts. Moreover, Emelianenko even has a claim for the GOAT of heavyweight MMA

Reason for Fedor Emelianenko never fighting for UFC

Fedor Emelianenko has no qualms about never stepping into the UFC, the premier MMA promotion in the world. Despite past negotiations with the UFC, his decision was not to join the UFC. Emelianenko believes his career path unfolded as it was destined. He has no regrets about not fighting in the UFC. This is according to the interview he gave to MMA Fighting.

Emelianenko disclosed that there was a moment when a UFC deal seemed possible, following the UFC’s acquisition of Pride, another top MMA promotion based in Japan. However, the contract never materialized because Dana White did not sign it.

Emelianenko’s solitary meeting with Dana struck him as odd. At that time, he was offered a UFC contract; however, he was already under contract with Strikeforce. Moreover, he viewed signing with the UFC as potentially legally harmful, as it would hinder his ability to fight in both promotions.

Emelianenko has even accused Dana White of valuing money over fighters, a claim that was shared by One Championship CEO, Chatri-Siyodtang. However, White admitted to barely knowing Emelianenko and mentioned that they have sat through a contractual meeting only once.

Jiri Prochazka provided his GOATS. Provide your top 5 GOATs of MMA in the comments section below.