Where does he rank all time at heavyweight? Or p4p? https://www-mmafighting-com.cdn.amp...nces-retirement-im-not-going-to-fight-anymore ...and is he depriving himself of money (and legitimate stabs at redemption) and the fans at further intrigue with a Miočić IV or Jones III? Or is the book pretty much closed on those rivalries?
I think he's done. Great career but as you touched on in your post his legacy is definitely impacted by the fact that he came out on the losing end in the defining fight series' of his career. I wonder if he'll reconsider due to the wide open landscape of LHW now. But I don't think he will. Long career, age is catching up to him even though he shows little signs of totally falling off the wagon. Is probably very comfortable in his role is a company man for the UFC - I'm sure it pays pretty well.
He's the 2nd best LHW of all time with just JJ above him and arguably a top 3 HW of all time with just Stipe and Fedor above him. Top 5 p4p fighter, his resume is just oozing with greats and has great longevity. Prime Rumble Johnson twice, prime Big Foot Silva, prime Gus, prime Lewis and Miocic, Dan Henderson who still had a couple great wins in him, Anderson Silva, Frank Mir.... that's a stellar, top 5 ATG resume in itself. All of his losses have also been competitive as well against the best of the best. Top 5 MMA list imo are Jon Jones GSP Anderson Silva Daniel Cormier Fedor
If you're taking those names at face value without realizing that all of those guys had seen FAR better days. Rumble x2, Bigfoot Silva, Gus and Miocic(even though it has an asterisk next to it) is a pretty solid resume. I would lump Barnett in there too who was very clearly still in solid form - certainly more than Mir, Hendo and A. Silva were - Lewis is garbage. Cormier's a great fighter for sure, but not sure I agree with top 5 all time.
All of these guys have seen better days? Lewis was a ranked HW who was coming off his career best win, Rumble was the number 1 LHW coming off his biggest win also, so was Big Foot Silva, Gus was still in top form, Miocic win was due to an eyepoke but it even'd up in the rubbermatch, the only named fighters in Cormiers resume who was completely shot is Silva and Henderson. There's no other MMA fighter with the longevity, accomplishments, and resume as DC. Cejudo retired too early and his career was too flukish, McGregor or Aldo aren't in the discussion, and Mighty Mouse suffers from not moving up then jumping ship to ONE championship. Who else is there?
I'm talking about the ones in bold man. Although I don't rate Lewis as a great win as said in the post. He's garbage.
It's takes a good eye to truly appreciate the greatness of prime Penn considering how bad the latter half of his career went. The Shamrock effect.
Lewis' success is down to the right combination of good promotion(the UFC clearly likes him), fighting in the worst division in MMA(not counting WMMA), luck and that's basically it. He's woeful. Great fighters don't get stopped inside 2 by a shot to pieces JDS, battered and stopped by an ancient Hunt, receive questionable decisions against mediocre talent while ranked, look terrible even in victory.
Jon Jones fought legendary lightheavy weights that were already past their primes, Undersized and old. I guess name wise it looks good on the resume, but thats about it.
On paper I have to rate Jones as a top 5 ATG based on what he's done, however there's an illuminating ever-present asterisk next to his name.
