Dana White has long-said Jon Jones is the ‘greatest MMA fighter’ in his book. White has also disregards the rankings, particularly expressing his disdain for the way rankings are determined. The UFC head honcho’s opinion on Jones seems to be set in stone, doubling down on critiques in an interview with Kevin Iole – “To have anybody above Jon Jones right now just goes to show that you know absolutely nothing about combat sports and fighting”. Despite White’s claims, Jones sits at #3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

While the UFC head honcho’s comments have raised a lot of eyebrows amongst fans and critics alike, there’s one man backing White in his stand. For Joe Rogan, host of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and longtime UFC commentator, ‘Bones’ stands in a league of his own. Jones was champion during the eras of Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor, and now – in an era defined by new talent. While measuring ‘greatness in the Octagon’ is a mostly subjective task, Jones’ resume is certainly undeniable. During a recent conversation with comedian Theo Von, Rogan took a deep dive into the long-standing debate, and explained by he agrees with White on Jon Jones’ status ‘as the greatest to ever do it’.

Joe Rogan backs Dana White in Jon Jones’s ‘GOAT’-status debate

On the JRE episode no. 2226, Joe Rogan analyzed Jon Jones’ physicality and skill-set, with ‘Bones’ largely being regarded for his high-IQ within the Octagon. The UFC color commentator pointed out, “Jon Jones has the perfect fighter’s frame because he’s still very strong, he has a lot of muscle but he’s also long and lean so he’s not relatively bulky compared to his weight because he’s long and stretched out.”

“If a guy’s a good counter striker and he’s active, and he’s long – they’re so hard to get in on on. So a guy like Jon is always going to be at an advantage. And then with Jon, if you do get in on, that’s no picnic because he’s an elite grappler so he’s going to strangle you, he’s going to throw you to the ground”, continued Rogan, emphasizing that Jones has been the toughest to crack, in terms of dealing with his dynamic fighting style.

When Theo Von pointed out that Jones is “Dana White’s favorite fighter”, Rogan chimed in on why the UFC head honcho is full of praise for ‘Bones’ – “Well, Dana White says he’s the greatest of all time, which a lot of people say. I go back and forth on what I think the greatest of all time means, but if you want to say like, ‘Who dominated his division longer than anybody, who beat everybody that was ever any good in his division, and he never loss’ – that’s Jon Jones.”. However, Rogan also clarified that he doesn’t like picking one fighter for the GOAT debate, alluding to a number of fighters who belong to this elite class, citing Demetrious Johnson being up there as well.

For years, Jon Jones dominated the light heavyweight division, defeating every top fighter in his path. As such, Rogan acknowledged that although some decisions were close, like those against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes, Jones still emerged victorious, showcasing a level of resilience and skill rarely matched in MMA history.

The podcast host admitted, “Then you know he wins the heavyweight title too, it’s tough to argue he’s not the greatest of all time. I say, if you had to only pick one, I would pick Jon.” In a sport where few fighters remain undefeated, Jon Jones’s record with just one loss via DQ over a rule that has now been changed, stands as a testament to his skill, tenacity, and greatness. And as ‘Bones’ gets ready to return to action at UFC 309,  he tipped his hat to Dana White for his support, and shared a heartfelt message for the praise he received from his boss.

‘Bones’ confesses the “honor” of getting White’s support for his career and legacy  

Jon Jones has achieved nearly everything an MMA fighter could hope for – dominating all his opponents to remain virtually undefeated, and winning two belts in separate weight classes. In a sport where prolonged success isn’t guaranteed, UFC CEO Dana White has been a vocal ally to Jones, defending his MMA legacy. Despite their past differences, Jones holds White in high regard. After all, both share a relationship spanning 16 years in the UFC.

In a recent conversation with Kevin Iole, Jones confessed his appreciation for White – “It’s just an honor, that’s all. It’s just a huge honor to be even considered at 37 years old – ‘one of the most well-rounded winners in our sport still’. For him to say, ‘Hey guys trust me, I know what I’m watching, I know what I’m looking at, and in my opinion, if Jon was the same size as a lot of these guys, Jon would be in the mix’.”

But here’s the thing, Jones knows he’s not only fighting in the cage but also against a narrative. The UFC’s new generation of fans can sometimes be fickle, being quick to disregard fighters’ long-standing records. The undisputed heavyweight champion shared that he understands this dynamic, yet he feels that White’s loyalty helps protect his legacy from these fleeting judgments. How?

According to ‘Bones’, “I think Dana is doing a great job of saying, hey, let’s wait a minute, let’s remember what this guy’s done. He’s not allowing the naysayers or some of the fans to push me to the side because I have done a tremendous amount of work for this company.” To wrap things up, fans might question his recent inactivity, but Dana White and Joe Rogan are quick to remind the MMA sphere that greatness isn’t measured by brief absences but by a career stacked with relentless victories.

Do you think Jon Jones will have to continue to prove his GOAT status to new fans, or has he already done enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!