Georges St-Pierre has revealed his personal top-five greatest fighters in MMA history, citing Royce Gracie as the man who inspired him to take up martial arts. He included Demetrious Johnson, noting that pound-for-pound Johnson would be the best in the world, and Jon Jones, whom he regards as the standout even above Fedor Emelianenko and Tom Aspinall due to his record. Anderson Silva and Conor McGregor rounded out the list, with St-Pierre crediting Silva's style and McGregor's impact on the sport's popularity.
Georges St-Pierre has shared his personal list of the five greatest fighters in MMA history, placing Jon Jones at the top while also honoring the pioneers and entertainers who shaped the sport.
St-Pierre cited Royce Gracie as the fighter who first inspired him to pursue martial arts, a nod to the early UFC era that launched the sport into mainstream consciousness. He also included Demetrious Johnson, arguing that pound-for-pound Johnson would rank as the best in the world, and rounded out the list with Anderson Silva and Conor McGregor — crediting Silva for his artistry inside the cage and McGregor for the commercial explosion his career helped trigger.
Jones, whom St-Pierre singled out as the standout name on his list, carries a 28-1-0 record and fights out of an orthodox stance at six-foot-four with an extraordinary 84-inch reach. His output and precision back up the acclaim — he lands 4.38 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, while also averaging 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Anderson Silva, the Brazilian southpaw who competed out of Team Nogueira, finished his career at 34-11-0. Now 51, Silva stood six-foot-two with a 77-inch reach and posted a striking accuracy of 61 percent across his career, a figure that reflects the surgical precision St-Pierre referenced when explaining the selection.
St-Pierre placed Jones above both Fedor Emelianenko and current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, pointing to Jones's record as the deciding factor. Aspinall, the 33-year-old Englishman from Team Kaobon, holds a 15-3-0 record, sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings, and leads the heavyweight division with a remarkable 7.63 significant strikes landed per minute at 67 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Jones's placement above active champion Aspinall adds fuel to an ongoing heavyweight legacy debate
- St-Pierre's endorsement of Johnson reopens pound-for-pound conversations across eras
- Silva and McGregor's inclusion reflects both technical excellence and cultural influence as separate criteria
