Who is the Lionel Messi of MMA? Fans compare Jon Jones, GSP, and other “GOATS” to legendary footballer

Who is the Lionel Messi of MMA? Fans compare Jon Jones, GSP, and other “GOATS” to legendary footballer

Lionel Messi gets compared to MMA legends Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre (Image Courtesy - CNBC/MMA News/Fight Centre)

After Lionel Messi led his country Argentina to ultimate glory at the Qatar World Cup, fight fans have begun to wonder who the “Messi” of MMA is. An interesting debate sparks in the MMA Twittersphere as fans compare the legendary footballer to the likes of Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and more.

When compared to Football/Soccer, mixed martial arts is a fairly new sport. Thanks to promotions like UFC, the sport has grown rapidly and is now one of the most-watched in the world. It is not often that fight fans shift their focus to another sport that does not involve combat. Even the UFC president himself does not rate Football or Soccer as a sport. However, when something as magical as Lionel Messi’s Qatar World Cup run takes place, even the purest of fight fans can’t help but wonder who the “Messi” of MMA is.

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Unlike other sports, it is very tough to choose one fighter from history that would sit on the same pedestal as a player like Leo Messi given the diverse fighting styles, different weight classes, and the fact that some of the greatest fighters of certain divisions could never test themselves against fighters of other weight classes simply because there would be no fair trial.

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However, it is safe to say that one name rang synonymous when the debate sparked on Twitter. Jon Jones was the most answered name from fight fans when asked to name the “Messi” of mixed martial arts. In the defense of fans who picked Jones, the former light heavyweight champion’s resume arguably is the greatest among all MMA fighters in history across all divisions.

Read more: When Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi declined to face off with Brazilian ex-UFC fighter

Demetrious Johnson, a good shout to being Lionel Messi of Mixed Martial Arts

Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson

There is no doubt that Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is one of the most underrated fighters of all time. Some fans believe DJ could be the equivalent of Lionel Messi given his successful reign even past his prime. The fighter is arguably the greatest flyweight fighter to ever grace the octagon. Many fans hold back on “Jon Jones = Messi” comparison given the bad rep of the fighter outside the octagon.

Some fans even threw names like Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor into the mix. Check out some of the most-interesting replies on Twitter discussing “Lionel Messi in MMA terms”:

Also read: Fans come in support of Lionel Messi after Mexican boxer threatens to attack him

Lionel Messi’s amazing World Cup seems to have transcended sports and inspired fight fans to spark interesting conversations. Football X MMA is a very rare crossover given the huge contrast between the two sports. It is almost impossible to compare the athletes of the two sports given how the respective sport is built and what it demands in terms of physicality and skill.

Also read: “Wonder if fighter pay will increase too” – Fans contemplate illegal streaming after ‘ridiculous’ raise in UFC PPV prices for year 2023