Dana White: 'No Arguments' Jon Jones Is 'the GOAT' If He Beats Ciryl Gane at UFC 285

Count UFC president Dana White among those who believe Jon "Bones" Jones will be fighting for more than just the vacant UFC heavyweight title at UFC 285 on Saturday night.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, White suggested that Jones will be the unquestioned greatest UFC fighter of all time if he comes out on top against Ciryl Gane, saying: "There will be no arguments over who the GOAT is if he beats Ciryl Gane on Saturday."

The 35-year-old Jones has spent most of his career at light heavyweight and is a two-time UFC champion in the division. On Saturday, he will move up to heavyweight for the first time and attempt to win the division's title in his first fight in that weight class.

In 28 professional fights, Jones is 26-1 with one no-contest. The only loss was a controversial one, as he was disqualified for illegal elbows against Matt Hamill in 2009. The no-contest was originally a knockout win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 in 2017, but it was overturned due to Jones testing positive for a banned substance.

If Jones can beat Gane on Saturday, it will not only be the 27th win of Jones career, but it will also enter him into an exclusive class of multi-division champions that includes Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Henry Cejudo and Cormier.

Gane has just 12 pro fights to his credit, but he is more experienced than Jones as a heavyweight and is naturally bigger than Jones, plus far bigger than the competitors Jones is used to fighting.

At 11-1, Gane's only blemish was a loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270. Saturday's bout is a result of Ngannou vacating the heavyweight title after being unable to agree to a new contract with UFC.

While there will be no debate about UFC's GOAT if Jones wins in the mind of White, there are a few other candidates realistically in the conversation.

Perhaps the best case could be made for Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired in 2020 with a perfect career record of 29-0.

Also, Anderson Silva is the longest-reigning champion in UFC history, having held the middleweight title for 2,457 days, although he suffered several losses late in his career.

St-Pierre was a dominant force, going 26-2 and holding titles in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He also won 13 consecutive fights to end his career.

There will always be at least some disagreement when it comes to choosing the best to ever compete in a sport, but by becoming a two-class champion, Jones would at least solidify his spot in the conversation.