I think the beauty of the 747 (which as we all know was military in intent) is its versatility in hauling oversize
and package freight.
The Antonov & the C-17 are dedicated to oversize freight. Yes, you could palletise the smaller freight but all GHA's are set up for LD-containers or Q6/Q7 type loads. Again, I'm sure they should be able to carry the latter, but at the figures quoted above, the 747 will always be king.
Edit:
The new version of the An-124, which is similar to the American Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, will feature advanced avionics, upgraded power units, increased payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons, an extended flight range, and a smaller crew.
It'll be a sad day when they replace those valves in the avionics bay!!!
