5 current UFC champions who could become the GOAT in their weight classes

#4. Francis Ngannou – UFC heavyweight champion

Francis Ngannou has the power to become the UFC's heavyweight GOAT

Traditionally, the UFC heavyweight title has been passed around like a hot potato. Discounting interim titles, the division has seen a total of 22 champions since 1997. Only one fighter, Stipe Miocic, was able to make more than two consecutive title defenses, managing three.

That achievement has meant that most fans now accept Miocic as the UFC’s heavyweight GOAT. However, could current champion Francis Ngannou surpass him?

It definitely seems possible. Firstly, ‘The Predator’ defeated Miocic in violent fashion to claim his title earlier this year at UFC 260. While beating the GOAT doesn’t immediately mean a fighter assumes that position, it’s a good start.

More to the point, right now, Ngannou looks practically unbeatable inside the octagon. He already possesses more punching power than arguably any fighter in UFC history, but he now seems to have rounded out his skills and even showed strong takedown defense against Miocic.

Ngannou’s next assignment will be a clash with interim champion Ciryl Gane. If he can defeat the Frenchman, there doesn’t really appear to be anyone capable of beating him on the UFC roster.

That means that ‘The Predator’ could well hold onto the UFC heavyweight crown for as long as he sees fit. If he does that, he’ll almost certainly become known as the GOAT amongst the UFC’s big men.

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#3. Rose Namajunas – UFC women's strawweight champion

Rose Namajunas is a two-time UFC strawweight champion, but could she become the division's GOAT?

As one of the UFC’s newer weight classes when compared to the likes of heavyweight and welterweight, the UFC women's strawweight division hasn’t really established a true GOAT yet.

The closest fighter to that spot would probably be Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who won the UFC strawweight title from Carla Esparza in March 2015 and then went onto defend it successfully on five occasions.

However, with the division still in its infancy, could current champion Rose Namajunas go onto be recognized as the true GOAT at 115 pounds? It’s something that definitely seems possible.

‘Thug Rose’ has plenty of evidence on her side already. She is the first fighter to hold the strawweight title on two occasions, having recaptured it from Zhang Weili earlier this year after dropping it to Jessica Andrade in 2019.

More to the point, Namajunas holds victories over three former UFC strawweight champions, including two wins over Jedrzejczyk and a win over Andrade to avenge her earlier defeat. Obviously, Namajunas’ current title reign is very much in its early days. There’s no guarantee she’ll defeat Zhang again when they rematch at UFC 268 next month.

If ‘Thug Rose’ can pull off a victory, though, she’ll comfortably be recognized as the best strawweight in the UFC.

If she can then make a few more defenses, with one preferably coming over Carla Esparza, who won the inaugural strawweight title by defeating Namajunas in 2014, It’d be hard to deny her a spot as the GOAT.