So after 87 votes and 3-4 months of inactivity I closed the poll, here are the results.
BJ
Khabib
Charles
1st
38
38
24
2nd
35
38
27
3rd
27
24
49
Total Points
211
214
175
I calculated Total Points as 3 points for a 1st place vote, 2 points for a 2nd place vote, and 1 point for a 3rd place vote.
The final result is Khabib wins by 3 points, but it’s worth noting that that is only a 1% difference, which is SURELY within the margin of error for this poll. I’m happy to call it a tie with a slight edge for Khabib.
There’s a frequent criticism of GOAT talk–that it’s a strong reflection of recency bias, i.e., guys who have fought more recently get an unfair amount of shine.
So that’s the point I was trying to make. Just pointing out how Dana’s view of Khabib has obviously shifted. Maybe all the Khabib GOAT talk was just recency bias, and now that things have cooled off a bit, people have realized that Khabib wasn’t really that special. He probably belongs in the GOAT conversation, but by no means does he run away with the title. At best it’s going to be an endless argument, which is what I think we’re seeing play out right now.