Justin Gaethje, a man who has been there and done it all in the sport, believes he has the perfect MMA Mount Rushmore.
Mount Rushmore is always going to be a divisive topic in sports. In MMA, some believe that the four greatest fighters to ever step into the cage is the right answer. Others opt for the most powerful figures, names included in the discussion rather than being the best under the lights. Names like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey figure in the numbers for that, but Gaethje has his own rules for the ideal roster.
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Like Justin Gaethje, most have the same three names as the greatest fighters in MMA history: Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Georges St-Pierre. For modern mixed martial arts as his influence and true pioneer of the sport, Gaethje respectfully added Royce Gracie.
“The Mount Rushmore of- that’s so hard. How many people do I get? Four? F*** it; why not six? I’ll make my Mount Rushmore.” Gaethje said. “Yes, Royce Gracie. Anderson Silva. GSP. Jon Jones obviously.”
But for the four options that have to be done for Mount Rushmore, Justin Gaethje has made his lines. Initially taking six, but pivoting to five, Gaethje added a surprising name at the expense of some MMA legends.
When asked about the inclusion of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje quickly shut it down. There was no room for Khabib, any more advanced fighter in the game like Islam Makhachev, and, surprisingly, there was no room for Demetrius Johnson.
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To complete his five-man lineup, Gaethje looked to a fan favorite who played a key role in mainstream mixed martial arts: Chuck Liddell.
“[Khabib?] Not in mine. Chuck Liddell. I think that’s it.’
Check out Justin Gaethje’s Mount Rushmore below.