UFC president Dana White has revealed that he believes Jon Jones is the greatest fighter in the history of the promotion. However, White also said that he believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently the best fighter in the UFC.
In a recent conversation with TMZ Sports, White said that while Jones is the greatest fighter ever to have captured the octagon, Nurmagomedov is currently the # 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. -currently.
Khabib Nurmagomedov overtook Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event last October. The Russian defeated Gaethje, successfully making his third title a defense. Although Nurmagomedov resigned after the fight, he was named the # 1 men’s pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.
Since Khabib Nurmagomedov placed Jon Jones at the top of the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings list in 2020, there has been a lot of debate about who is the greatest fighter ever. While Nurmagomedov is undeveloped in the MMA with a perfect 29-0 record, Jones ruled the lightweight division for years and has just one DQ loss in his entire career – in a fight that was his upper hand.
Jon Jones beat Dominick Reyes back in February last year in a contest that was closely questioned by his predecessor with a decision at the end of five tough rounds. In terms of recent achievements, although Jones has raised his hand, he has not taken control of his opponents.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, seems to get better with every fight. Gaethje was touted as the strongest matchup in the UFC for the Eagle but Nurmagomedov knocked him out, beat him, and then put him to sleep with a choking triangle.
Jon Jones is ready to start a new chapter at a heavyweight
Nevertheless, Jon Jones is not done writing his legacy yet. After managing the light heavyweight division for years, Jones is now moving to heavyweight in pursuit of a second title. It is very likely that Khabib Nurmagomedov will not fight again. If Jon Jones manages to win the overweight title, he will find himself back at the top of the UFC men’s pound-for-pound list.
Along with that, Jones will also go down in history as the greatest fighter ever to set foot inside the octagon. However, Jones’ last fight or two wasn’t just a real eye-opener. Jones did a lot of damage in the fights against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.
Taking that kind of damage from the likes of Francis Ngannou could even shorten his career. While Jones has a chance to make a name for himself in history as the greatest fighter of all time, he must be careful not to let his grip on heavy weights consolidate his legacy as one of the biggest fights on the planet.
Published January 30, 2021, 16:39 IST