Is it fair to compare the consensus GOATs of two different sports like MMA and boxing? Well, UFC color commentator Jon Anik certainly thinks so. In a recent conversation in MMA Junkie, Anik claimed that Jon Jones has surpassed Floyd Mayweather, not just as a fighter but as an all-time great. Bold words, right? But Anik’s reasoning isn’t without nuance, he highlights Jones’ ability to thrive in the unpredictable realm of mixed martial arts. Yet, it begs the question, are we comparing apples to oranges when debating UFC versus boxing legacies?
“I think, with respect to Joe Calzaghe and Floyd Mayweather, Jon Jones has already pushed himself beyond those guys,” Anik stated. “Even if people want to denigrate the Stipe win because it happened at 42 years of age. I don’t think there really is anything left for Jon Jones to accomplish.” Anik argues that Jones, at 37, is successfully defending titles in a physically brutal sport, while Mayweather wrapped up his peak years by the age of 38.
“What he (Jones) wants like that 30, 40, 50, million dollar payday, which he so deserves,” Anik added. But here’s the kicker, in boxing, Mayweather achieved those financial milestones multiple times, raising a key debate about the differences between the two sports. When Anik says Jones has “pushed himself beyond” Mayweather, how do we measure that?
From one angle, Jones’ accomplishments in MMA, dominating two weight classes and returning after a long layoff to beat a heavyweight legend places him in rarefied air. Unlike Mayweather, who retired at 38 after his 2015 bout with Andre Berto, Jones is still thriving and looking for his next big challenge at the same age. Yes, Mayweather did return in 2012 to fight Conor McGregor at 41, but that bout was more spectacle than a legacy-defining contest.
On the other hand, Mayweather’s career achievements remain unmatched in boxing. With a spotless 50-0 record and some of the highest paydays in sports history, ‘Money’ turned boxing into a billion-dollar enterprise. Jones, despite being arguably the greatest MMA fighter ever, has yet to command the kind of financial success Mayweather routinely enjoyed. Does this disparity reflect the sports themselves rather than the athletes?
