MMA fans compare Lionel Messi with Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov after Argentina's historic World Cup win

Lionel Messi is being compared to Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Anderson Silva as fans debate who could be the 'Messi' in the sport of MMA.

Messi created history on December 18 as the Argentine captained his team toward victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Widely hailed as the greatest soccer player of all time, many MMA fans started wondering which fighter could be compared to Messi.

An Instagram post by Combatalk re-posted a question asking users which fighters fit such a description, with Jon Jones as a possible match. The caption read:

"Y’all agree? Apart from maybe a younger [Anderson] Silva, this is the closest comparison you can get imo."

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Check out the post below:

Many fans replied in the comment section with the names of the fighters they thought best fit the description, along with their reasoning for it. As expected, some replies were serious and some were humorous.

One user with the handle @ali.f4dhil claimed the former undefeated lightweight champion paralleled Lionel Messi:

"He's Khabib [Nurmagomedov] with a 50-0 record."

@mattschu88 linked Georges St-Pierre's career track with Messi's:

"He’s 100% GSP with the retiring and still coming back and winning."

@aureboucher joked:

"Darren Till with good TD defense?"

User @benscxtt compared the Argentine's height and career to Demetrious Johnson’s, saying:

"Messi would be 'Mighty Mouse' if you think about it."

@f.t.g_7 claimed:

"Messi is Fedor [Emelianenko]. No cheating like Jon Jones roid head, no arrogance, no flashiness. Just raw performance and results otherworldly"

@briaanuribe named Conor McGregor, stating:

"Like McGregor retired after Eddie Alvarez fight."

Screenshots of comments from @CombaTalk post on Instagram.

MMA fighter compares Lionel Messi to Muhammad Ali, calls the Argentine soccer maestro "legend" of the sport

It is no secret that UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio is a huge fan of his compatriot, Lionel Messi, and he recently compared 'The Flea' to boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Ponzinibbio was asked how popular Messi was in Argentina and if he could name some American athletes who could be compared to him. The 'Argentine Dagger' replied:

"I think it's Michael Jordan, these kind of guys. Legends of the sport, all-time. I think Messi is at this level. Michael Jordan. Tom Brady. They changed the history of the sport... Muhammad Ali, the big names."

Watch the full video below:

This isn't the first time Santiago Ponzinibbio has spoken about Lionel Messi. The Argentine fighter previously defended his favorite soccer player when Mexican boxing star Canelo Alvarez threatened Messi.

Check out the post below:

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Ponzinibbio defeated Alex Morono at UFC 282, winning the bout via a third-round knockout. The unranked fighter won the Performance of the Night bonus for his impressive display against Morono.

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About the author

Nishant brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his MMA reporting for Sportskeeda. During his 1.5 years with the organization and previous work, Nishant has established himself as a prolific writer in the MMA community. With a Bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism and a Master's degree in International Relations, Nishant's educational background enhances his analytical and reporting skills.

Nishant admires UFC legend Georges St-Pierre for his dominance and exemplary conduct inside and outside the cage. The monumental UFC 229 event, headlined by a grudge match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, captivated Nishant and solidified his passion for MMA.

Nishant focuses on delivering high-quality content by giving attention to detail, and rigorous fact-checking via multiple layers. His dedication is evident in his achievement of publishing over 1.7K articles and accumulating 4.4 million reads in less than two years.

Nishant feels that it is only a matter of time that MMA takes over Boxing as the no.1 combat sport. Beyond MMA, his interests include philosophy, music exploration, and wildlife photography.

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Edited by Allan Mathew