"The disrespect to MMA is insane" - Fans react as only two UFC legends make ESPN's Top 100 athletes, excluding Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor

MMA fans are letting their voices be heard after ESPN announced its Top 100 Professional Athletes of the 2000s and didn't include Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The list is deemed to have been based on athletic accomplishments since the year 2000, with the initial group of athletes standing at over 400. Panelist experts, statistical information and over 75,000 votes from a wide variety of ESPN staff was then used to round down the number, eventually resulting in the top 100.

The two that made the cut from the UFC were Jon Jones, who was ranked No.66, and Georges St-Pierre, ranked No. 76.

While many would argue that Jones and 'GSP' are more than deserving of their spots in the list, the omission of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov has struck a nerve with the MMA community.

'The Notorious' is widely considered as the biggest MMA star in history, and 'The Eagle' retired at the top of the sport undefeated (29-0). Fans reminded ESPN of their accomplishments as well as the talent of other fighters.

Responding to the tweet by Championship Rounds on X, one fan wrote:

"Crazy when jones would destroy the 65 people in front of them"

Another fan said:

"The disrespect to MMA is insane"

One fan said:

"The undisputed goat of his sport is only 66 😭"

Another fan wrote:

"I hope Khabib and Conor will be above them on ESPNs rankings"

One fan added:

"Being the best at MMA is quite literally the hardest sport out there. I’d love to know how they ranked this list."

X user @jonjacobs21 said:

"Put Conor in the top ten"

Check out more reactions here:

More fan reactions

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Dana White provides update on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

Dana White recently provided an update on the status of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.

The Irishman was set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon last month at UFC 303, however, he was forced out of the fight after suffering a broken toe while training.

While there has been no official confirmation about a rescheduled date, it is expected to happen before the end of 2024. The UFC CEO then echoed that same sentiment during the latest episode of The Pat McAfee Show. According to White, he is hoping to get the fight locked in soon. He said:

"That's the fight [Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler] that needs to happen. We've been waiting for it, it's an awesome fight, it's a fun fight. And yeah, as I'm sitting here right now, no, I don't have a date for it or a plan or anything like that.

"And obviously, me, the fans and ESPN would love [that fight] to happen in 2024. But we'll see what happens."

Catch Dana White's comments here: