Jon Jones could have been a transformative, sport-defining cultural icon like Michael Jordan or Roger Federer or Tom Brady. Holding an essentially unblemished record in a sport where being undefeated actually means something and being considered the greatest to ever do it could have made him a much much bigger star than he currently is. But the former 205lbs champ and the current heavyweight king in his own words, is “a bad guy trying to be a good guy” and has a dark side that is almost frightening at times.

From his famous hit-and-run of a pregnant woman in 2012 to getting physical with his partner in a Las Vegas hotel four years ago, ‘Bones’ has a knack for finding trouble. And that is why he is not in the same league as the GOATs in other sports. Realistically, what brand would want to be associated with someone with Jones’ history?  That is also why legendary MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy thinks that Jones may not even be the biggest active star in the UFC.

Speaking to co-host and UFC vet, Josh Thomson about the UFC’s current issue of not having many stars, ‘Big’ John claimed that Islam Makhachev was the top dog in the promotion. “If you’re going to look at who’s their main guys right now, they lost ‘Poatan’. Basically, he’s still a star but he’s not a champion now. So they’re gonna have to rebuild him and stuff. But Islam Makhachev is their big star. He’s a big star right now for them,” he said.

This prompted Thomson to interject: “Bigger than Jon Jones?” 

“Yeah,” McCarthy said. “Because… here’s the problem when you look at it. Islam doesn’t cause them any problems. What problems does he cause him? Zero, okay. He not only goes out and fights, he goes out and he finishes his fights. He fights anybody, he doesn’t make excuses about anything and he doesn’t get in trouble anywhere. That’s an easy person to deal with, you know.”

This, as the former referee pointed out, was in sharp contrast to how Jones had conducted himself throughout his career, especially outside the Octagon. “With Jon, you know, he– and I’m not saying Jon so much right now– but throughout his career, there’s been a lot of problems and there’s been a lot of setbacks. They’ve had to strip the title from him and different things… He’s definitely got the skill set to be that star. But he’s never been the personality that the UFC has wanted him to be,” McCarthy said.

And there is truth to what ‘Big’ John said. Despite being one of the best to ever do it, Jones remains the only person to be stripped of his title on three separate occasions. And the failed tests and other shenanigans? The list is pretty long! Moreover, recent developments may have put one of his biggest achievements at risk.

How UFC 313 could have jeopardized Jon Jones’ legacy?

Jon Jones wanted to fight Alex Pereira in his last-ever fight. ‘Bones’, of course, remains undefeated (except for a disqualification loss in a fight he would have won otherwise) over two decades, an unprecedented feat in MMA. This is the main reason Dana White insists ‘Bones’ is the MMA GOAT.

However, with Alex Pereira losing his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, Jones’ undefeated streak may be at risk. The Brazilian would have been an easier stylistic matchup for Jones than interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall, who has the size, strength, and game to give Jones absolute hell. But with Pereira off the table with his loss, it seems Jones has no choice but to face the Englishman. And Ankalaev, for some reason, is gleeful at Jones’ plans being ruined.

“Jonny steroid machine was very disappointed. I beat Alex please fight big Tom.” Ankalaev wrote on X, echoing the sentiments of millions of UFC fans. Moreover, when Pereira addressed fans with an Instagram video, Jones took the chance to express his disappointment at the Brazilian’s title loss. He wrote, “Disappointed, I was looking forward to sharing the octagon with you.” This is when the interim heavyweight champ left a scathing reply after which Jones deleted the entire comment thread altogether. Aspinall wrote, “You got nowhere to run Jon.”

So will we get to see Jones-Aspinall, after all? Perhaps. But Jones is nothing if not smart. He has asked for “f–k you money” to fight the Englishman, who could soil his nigh undefeated record. And if he doesn’t get paid enough for the massive risk he is taking, he may well choose to retire. What do you think about ‘Big’ John McCarthy’s take on Jon Jones’ standing in the UFC?