Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili? Who is the UFC bantamweight GOAT?

Who is the greatest of all time (GOAT) in each of the UFC's weight divisions? It's probably one of the most commonly asked questions in the sport of MMA.

Some of the UFC's weight divisions have a clear-cut GOAT, but the same cannot be said for the bantamweight division.

Ask any knowledgeable fan, and they would tell you, for instance, that Jon Jones is the light heavyweight GOAT, and Georges St-Pierre is the welterweight GOAT. Both of those fighters dominated their division for years, put together multiple title defenses, and beat numerous other greats along the way.

At 135 pounds, though, things are a little different. Nobody has really dominated at bantamweight the way St-Pierre did at welterweight.

Therefore, when choosing the GOAT of the weight class, the waters are a lot muddier. With a number of options, then, who stands at the top of the bantamweight mountain?

Interestingly, more light could be shone on this subject at UFC 316 this weekend, as current champ Merab Dvalishvili faces former titleholder Sean O'Malley.

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UFC bantamweight GOAT: Who is in the frame?

Naturally, to be in the frame for being considered a UFC great, a fighter probably has to have held the title in their weight class.

The bantamweight division, then, has seen nine different champions and, discounting interim titles, eleven different reigns.

Of those nine champions, though, it's probably fair to say that when it comes to being the GOAT, we can discount five of them.

Firstly, the majority of Renan Barao's title reign came as an interim champion, meaning we must discount his first two title defenses. The Brazilian also never unified the titles inside the octagon, instead being upgraded to undisputed champion when Dominick Cruz's injuries forced him to relinquish.

'The Baron' did defend his undisputed title once, beating Urijah Faber, but lost it to TJ Dillashaw in his next fight, and his career spiraled wildly downwards after that. Due to this, he can't be considered as the potential GOAT.

Meanwhile, Dillashaw held the title on two occasions. His first reign saw him dethrone Barao, only to lose to Cruz in his second defense. His second reign saw him claim the title from his bitter rival Cody Garbrandt, who he also beat in a rematch.

However, Dillashaw's reign ended in disgrace. After failing in an ill-advised attempt to claim flyweight gold, he tested positive for the banned substance EPO and was subsequently stripped. Due to this, as well as the short nature of his reigns, he's out too.

Garbrandt arguably put on the greatest performance in any UFC bantamweight title fight when he dethroned Cruz in 2016, but his title reign was simply too short for consideration here.

What about Henry Cejudo? 'Triple C' knocked out Dillashaw in their flyweight title bout, and then moved up to 135 pounds to win the vacant bantamweight crown against Marlon Moraes. However, after just one late-notice defense, he then retired, walking away at the peak of his powers. And since his 2023 return, he hasn't been the same fighter.

The Olympian should be considered one of the UFC's all-time greats, thanks to his status as a simultaneous double champion, but in terms of the bantamweight pantheon, he ranks a little lower.

Finally, both Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley scored huge knockout wins to claim the bantamweight title, but both men only had a short reign at the top before they were dethroned. Therefore, it's hard to consider both of them, too.

This leaves three other names in the picture.

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Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling or Merab Dvalishvili: Who is the GOAT?

Realistically, the choice for the UFC's bantamweight GOAT comes down to three champions: Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.

There's a case for each of these men: the sentimental favorite, the underrated champion and the current titleholder.

Cruz was, of course, the UFC's inaugural bantamweight champion. The 135-pound division was implanted into the promotion from the WEC at the end of 2010, and Cruz had held the WEC title since mid-2009.

'The Dominator' made two excellent title defenses in 2011, turning back the challenges of Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson.

However, a laundry list of injuries forced him to relinquish his title in 2013. After beating Johnson in 2011, in fact, he fought just once before January 2016, stopping Takeya Mizugaki in 2014.

2016, though, saw his crowning achievement. He outpointed TJ Dillashaw to claim the title for the second time. It was the kind of comeback usually reserved for the movies.

Unfortunately, Cruzz did not go onto a lengthy title reign. He defended against his old foe Faber, but then fell to Cody Garbrandt. Following this, his injury problems largely returned, and his UFC career meandered to its eventual end last year.

At his best, Cruz lived up to his nickname. His brand of strong wrestling and incredibly technical striking, based around his slick footwork, was too much for most of his opponents to handle.

However, the sheer amount of time he lost due to injuries is a black mark against him, even if he's blameless in the situation. Cruz will undoubtedly become a UFC Hall of Famer, but whether he's the bantamweight GOAT is another thing.

Sterling may actually have a better claim. He was never as dominant as Cruz was at his peak, nor was he as popular. However, 'The Funk Master' was remarkably successful and he does hold the record for the division's most consecutive successful title defenses, with three.

Moreover, Sterling can boast wins over four former bantamweight champions - Renan Barao, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and Dillashaw - which is something that no other fighter in this debate can.

There are, though, some negatives around the claim of 'Funk Master'.

Firstly, his reign began in highly controversial fashion, as he became the first UFC fighter to win a title via disqualification, when Yan - who was dominating him - knocked him out with an illegal knee.

Sterling did beat Yan in their rematch, but that win - as well as his 2023 defense over Cejudo - were in very close fights to call.

Add in the fact that he was badly knocked out by Sean O'Malley in the fight that saw him dethroned, and it's hard to see Sterling as a truly dominant champion.

Still, going purely by credentials, he might have the best claim to being the bantamweight GOAT.

What of the current champ, Dvalishvili? Usually, it feels too early to proclaim a current titleholder as a GOAT.

'The Machine', though, may be the exception to that rule.

The Georgian is currently riding a 12-fight winning streak, dating back to 2018. In terms of his dominance, he's been more of a Cruz than a Sterling, as there's been no question that he's won his fights.

In terms of the level of opponent he's faced, there can also be no question. He beat the man who dethroned Sterling in O'Malley, holds wins over Cejudo and Yan, is the only man to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov, and also holds a win over legendary former featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo.

Right now, though, with just one title defense to his name, to label him the GOAT might be a little premature.

If he can get past O'Malley in their rematch this weekend, though, that could change. Although he'd still be one successful defense behind Sterling, it'd be easy to argue that his accomplishments have surpassed his teammate's.

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Conclusion - who is the UFC bantamweight GOAT?

It could easily be argued that there is no outstanding candidate for the UFC's bantamweight GOAT right now.

Both Dominick Cruz and Aljamain Sterling have black marks against them, although a fair argument for either deserving the label definitely exists, too.

However, a win for Merab Dvalishvili this weekend would absolutely tip the scales in his favor. Dvalishvili has everything to be considered the GOAT, including dominant wins over great fighters and champions.

It's an opinion already offered by both Henry Cejudo - who he defeated - and Jon Anik.

If he can continue his title reign, particularly if he continues to dominate his foes, then it'll be hard to deny his claim. Will he produce the goods this weekend to cement his spot? Only time will tell.