Jon Jones Claims He Has Faced Better Opponents Than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Jon Jones hasn’t been able to give up on the GOAT debate ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov was unofficially handed that title after his UFC 254 win. Jones boasts a better resume as a championship fighter in the UFC. As a result, he has felt hard done by the treatment given to Khabib.

His latest arrow in this argument has been differing levels of opposition both fighters have faced. Jones casually pointed out some former champions he had to beat. This includes what is sometimes referred to as a ‘murderer’s row’, as a lot of Jones’s opponents were considered to be icons from the PRIDE era and shaped the late 2000s and early 2010s.

He expanded on the Vitor fight and tweeted something littered in irony. He pointed out that he faced ‘TRT Vitor‘, the time when Belfort was juiced to the gills and one of the scariest fighters in the entire UFC. Jones faced that Belfort and still got a win, but Jones himself has his share of steroid allegations, which he will not be able to live down.

Jon Jones and the level of opponents he has faced

One argument that Jones should win easily is this. While people differ on how to evaluate GOATs, this is something that is laid in plain, hard facts. Jon Jones had a five-fight run in his championship prime, where he dominantly defeated five of the most dangerous fighters in the division.

It started with a win over Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, a former PRIDE Grand Prix winner. Jones dethroned Rua and took the Light Heavyweight Championship, becoming the youngest UFC champion ever. He followed this up with consecutive finishes over former champions Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Lyoto Machida. He then faced bitter rival Rashad Evans, leaving with a dominant decision win over him. Jones then defeated Vitor Belfort via submission.

Jones has obviously added a lot more names to his list, including Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, and others.  Moreover, he has clearly triumphed over a lot more elite fighters than Khabib. But maybe his longevity is what has made everyone accustomed to his high level of performance. Maybe we will appreciate ‘Bones’ Jones better when he retires as well.