Over the years, the sports world has been blessed by the presence of great athletes.  It is often an argument as to who stands atop the list.  Alas, being a sports fanatic, I’ve settled the debate for you.

These athletes are the masters of their respective sports, and they’ve judged by rigorous criteria.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo 

While he is definitely in the conversation for the greatest soccer player of all time, it’s hard to argue that he is the most overall athletic. If you have ever seen a video of Ronaldo doing a bicycle kick, you know. He can get his foot seven feet in the air. Ronaldo has changed the sport of soccer by incorporating strength training as well as explosive movements to make himself one of the greatest to ever play the game.

4. Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is undoubtably the greatest swimmer to ever grace the pool. Phelps has 28 medals in his Olympic career, 23 of them being gold. He holds numerous world records in a variety of events. As a swimmer, nobody even compares to the olympic greatness of Phelps. He has raise the bar for a sport that hasn’t been caught even after he has retired.

3.  Bo Jackson 

Bo Jackson, in his historic baseball and football career, did something no other athlete has: He was an All Star major leaguer in both baseball and football, making him the only athlete to be an All Star in two different sports.

2. LeBron James 

Objectively, LeBron James is the greatest basketball player to ever play. He has dominated the sport in recent years, taking two different teams to NBA Finals, and winning three of the seven he has been to. He is the most versatile player in the sports history, with a 6’8″ frame and the agility and athleticism of a point guard. He has played every position on the court at one point or another during his career.

He has the ability to drive with his linebacker-like size, and if he doesn’t want to beat you on the dribble he has deadly range. He is one of only two players to have a career average of over 25 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. He is also the only player in history to go to 7 consecutive NBA Finals.

1. Conor McGregor  

When speaking of the best athletes of all time, we focus on players who have transcended the sport.  Maybe none have done quite what McGregor has done in such a short amount of time. The argument for McGregor being the best athlete of all time is simple: he is the best athlete in the hardest sport in the world.

McGregor, in a four year period, went from cashing welfare checks in his native Dublin, Ireland, to being a apart of the most lucrative fight in combat sports history. McGregor is the only fighter two hold two championships in two weight classes. Conquering the two toughest divisions in the sport at 145, and 155 pounds, he has also collected a win at 170 pounds. He has changed the sport by showing how power is an illusion in combat sports and timing and accuracy is all that matters.