One of the most common debates that MMA fans are sure to have with one another is who are the greatest and most significant fighters of all time.
Mixed martial arts is still a very young sport but even with that in mind, picking just four names and faces to fill up a Mount Rushmore of MMA is no easy task.
This is what former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping attempted to get to the bottom of, on a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast.
Of course, all the usual names were thrown into the mix like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Royce Gracie but one big omission throws a major additional factor into the debate.
Whilst he may not have the same strength of resume or longevity as some of the other names in consideration, MMA would not be what it is today without “The Notorious”.
Michael Bisping Says Conor McGregor Will Have Long Lasting Legacy On His Side In Mount Rushmore Debate
After he was left out of the bulk of the discussion, Bisping made the case for why Conor McGregor has to be spoken about as someone that has earned his spot on the sport’s four figureheads.
The impact that the first-ever UFC champ-champ has had is simply unmatched when you look at the money and attention that he has brought in.
Bisping made his case by posing the question of what the debate will look like in the distant future and when looking at the list of fighters from that angle, there’s no chance that McGregor isn’t a first-round draft pick.
“What about this point of view, let’s remember the sport’s only thirty years old. Let’s look at this in a hundred years time from now. Who will be the name that’s really stood out? You cannot deny the impact that McGregor had on this sport and bringing it to the next level and you know, I’m the last person to sit here and fluff him up but you can’t deny that, you just can’t.”
