Merab Dvalishvili Says Jon Jones Is the Real GOAT, Not Islam
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili said Jon Jones is the real GOAT, not Islam Makhachev, even as he still placed the welterweight champion among the all-time greats. Speaking to Helen Yee Sports, Dvalishvili also said Ilia Topuria will come back stronger and take the lightweight title.
The comments come while Makhachev sits at No. 1 pound-for-pound after defending his 170-pound belt at UFC 330. Dvalishvili, 21-5, is the No. 1-ranked bantamweight and faces Petr Yan for the title at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi.
He did not dismiss Makhachev’s run. He just refused to put him above Jones.
“For me, goat is Jon Jones, you know, he has the most title defense and he was fighting for title fights and main events,” Dvalishvili said.
“So Islam is a great fighter and, you know I mean he’s one of the goats but the real goat is Jon Jones, you know, but yeah all the respect for Islam Makhachev.”
Jones retired in June 2025 as UFC heavyweight champion with a 28-1 record and one no contest. His only official loss is a 2009 disqualification against Matt Hamill, and he left as a two-division champion with 11 light heavyweight title defenses, the most in that division’s history.
Makhachev is 29-1, the current welterweight champion, and a former lightweight titleholder. He made four defenses at 155 pounds, won the 170-pound belt, defended it against Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15, and owns a UFC-record 17-fight winning streak.
Dvalishvili’s ranking is a resume argument, not a style one. Jones spent years in title fights and main events across two weight classes. Makhachev’s case is built on the current streak, two belts, and the fact that he is still active.
That distinction matters in a year when Makhachev’s name has been pushed further into the GOAT conversation. Dvalishvili called him one of the greats and then drew the line at Jones.
He turned from that debate to Topuria, who has been out since losing the lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. Topuria, 17-1, suffered fractures to both orbital bones in that fight and has not been booked for a return.
Dvalishvili said the former two-division champion is in a good place while he heals.
“He’s doing good,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s very positive.”
“He’s enjoying his life, and when he’s gonna come back, he will beat everybody,” he said. “Ilia is very strong mentally and physically, and he will come back, like I said, and he will get back his belt.”
That is Dvalishvili’s prediction, not a scheduled fight. Gaethje is the reigning lightweight champion, and Topuria is ranked No. 1 at 155 pounds with no official comeback date.
Topuria won UFC titles at featherweight and lightweight before the Gaethje loss, knocking out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira along the way. Dvalishvili’s confidence is rooted in that run and in Topuria’s reputation for coming forward, not in a medical clearance that has been made public.
The two comments sit next to each other for a reason. Dvalishvili is drawing a hard line on the all-time list while backing a fellow Georgian star to climb back into the title picture.
Jones is retired. Makhachev is still collecting title fights. Topuria is trying to get healthy enough to start that climb again.
None of those situations is finished. Makhachev’s next welterweight defense has not been announced, and every win he adds will keep the GOAT argument alive whether Dvalishvili moves off Jones or not.
Dvalishvili has his own title fight first. A win over Yan at UFC 333 would make him a two-time bantamweight champion and give more weight to his place in these conversations.
Until then, his ranking is clear. Jones is the GOAT in his eyes, Makhachev is one of the greats, and Topuria is the fighter he expects to take the 155-pound belt back when he returns.