Israel Adesanya's coach explains the difference between 'The Greatest' and 'The Best'

Israel Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman has distinct criteria for assigning the title "greatest of all time" to athletes. Bareman believes most credentialled athletes have the potential to become the best, but the "greatest" title should be reserved for those who understand the true meaning and have earned the honor.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Israel Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman was asked if his pupil should be in the GOAT discussion in the event of his second crowning as champion. The kickboxing head coach rejected the idea and said that competitive brilliance is only one-half of it when it comes to the GOAT title. Bareman argued that only athletes who employ their position and influence for the greater good of humanity should be called the greatest of all time.

"It's not just about fighting. Half of it's about fighting and the other half is what you do for the world. What is your humanitarian effort to make the world a better place? How do you use that platform because you've reached the absolute heights of fighting and then how do you use that platform to make the world a better place? That's what the GOAT title encompasses... You can't be the greatest of all time unless you serve both of these purposes," Eugene Bareman said.

Eugene Bareman's idea is inspired by Boxing legend Muhammad Ali's life. One of the most influential figures in the world of combat sports, Ali donated millions of dollars to charity organizations and underprivileged people. Ali was also known for being an active participant in humanitarian efforts around the world.

"He's (Muhammad Ali) the greatest of all time for two reasons. Because of what he was able to do, become a three-time world heavyweight champion... Because of those magnificent battles and using the strategies and skill but he also has that title because the other half of the title is about how you get that title by using your platform to make the world a better place," Eugene Bareman said.

The term greatest of all time has often been synonymous with the name Muhammad Ali. It has been used to address other distinguished athletes such as Michael Jordan, but the GOAT status in MMA has always been subjective iwith no clear cut name running away with the title. The argument for the title generally revolves around the length of championship reigns, level of competition defeated, and overall fighting record. Israel Adesanya's coach has given a fresh perspective to look at the fighters that confer the title upon themselves.

Eugene Bareman thinks Israel Adesanya has to do a lot more to reach GOAT status

Eugene Bareman believes that Israel Adesanya's competitive brilliance is enough for him to be the best fighter of all time. But the coach thinks that Adesanya needs to do a lot more humanitarian work than he is currently doing if he wants the greatest of all-time title. Bareman gave his opinion on Israel Adesanya without holding back on his words.

"Israel (Adesanya) might want to be the greatest of all time. He does a lot of humanitarian work a lot of times and he does use his platform. But to get that title... he doesn't do enough in my opinion, neither do most of the people who try to get themselves that title... If he wants to be the greatest of all time, he needs to do more if he wants that particular title," Eugene Bareman said.

The CHAMP @stylebender addresses the Auckland #BlackLivesMatter march earlier today. GO OFF KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/8q7Rs3uGK2

— Boba Teti 🔫 (@isoakavakimotu) June 1, 2020

Israel Adesanya is the current UFC middleweight champion. He is scheduled to fight for the light heavyweight title against champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 on March 6, 2021. With a potential win over Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya would become the fifth simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.