After Jon Jones‘ recent performance at the Celebrity Sweat’s flag football game during Super Bowl 2026, a buzzing question came up. Do MMA fighters has same level of athleticism as other sports? While the question is quite subjective, it has sparked debates around the sporting world. And to ignite that further, the people from the community even took notice of Dana White‘s recent bold take.

NFL star Maxx Crosby recently caught the MMA world’s attention with an interesting revelation. Crosby claimed that the UFC CEO is convinced about him becoming a heavyweight champion. And this comes as a shock, since the NFL star has no formal MMA background. But along with that, it also raised debates in the community about the athleticism required in MMA.

The discussions were initiated after watching Jon Jones struggling to chase down NBA legend Dwight Howard in a celebrity football game. In the clip, Jones was observed sprinting as the ball was delivered into Howard’s grip. With maximum effort, the former UFC champion pursued the NBA legend to reclaim the ball.

Nevertheless, the All-Star outperformed the MMA fighter in every aspect and secured an important point for his team by employing an ankle snatch, a defensive maneuver that entails tripping an opponent to halt the play. In the aftermath, many believed it would be very easy for any athlete to transition into MMA.

Netizens are at odds about MMA fighters’ athleticism following Dana White’s take

“This just demonstrates how easy it would be for a world-class athlete to absolutely dominate MMA. The best fighter that has ever lived runs like he’s never played a sport in his life,” a netizen wrote on X.

Now, this opinion can be deemed as quite controversial, as many in the MMA world would surely disagree. And especially considering Jones’ arthritis condition, which may have been the reason for his struggle at the football game. But Dana White’s alleged take on Maxx Crosby reignited the conversations again.

“Hmmm… didn’t I just say this yesterday and EVERYONE called me crazy?? While I think Max is too old now to take up MMA and get to a high level without any MMA background. Elite-level athletes coming into the sport (with decades of training, of course) would dominate MMA,” wrote the same netizen on X.

Now, while these interesting takes pile up, several people from the MMA community also came into the defense. “The most common misconception about MMA. Guaranteed 99.99% of athletes better than Jon Jones wouldn’t have 1% of his durability or willingness to partake in violence. The combination of both would be amazing, but one is significantly more important if the other is absent,” wrote veteran journalist Sean Sheehan on X.

Now, this debate is still buzzing all over social media. Several netizens noted that it requires more than just being an athlete to become an MMA fighter. Meanwhile, others have contrasting opinions. On that note, do share your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!