“Wish He Would’ve Stuck Around Long Enough” -Jon Jones Not on Board With Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Greatest of All Time Status

Jon Jones has been a part of mixed martial arts since 2008. He carved a name for himself within the sport like no other. Jones dominated the UFC light heavyweight division since 2011, when he won the belt by defeating ‘Shogun’ Rua. The fighter willingly gave up the title to move to the heavyweight division. 

During his reign in the light heavyweight division, Jones defeated some of the best fighters like Dominick Reyes, Thiago Santos, Daniel Cormier, Glover Teixeira, and many more. He managed to defend the title 14 times before relinquishing the strap in 2020. Many people consider Jon Jones to be the GOAT. However, many people also disagree and consider Khabib Nurmagomedov to be the best fighter in the sport.

Jon Jones reacts to a fan calling Khabib Nurmagomedov the GOAT

A fan took to Twitter and said that Khabib was the GOAT of MMA and that Jones had to accept it. The fan wrote, “It’s better if you accept it brother.”

Jones replied and wrote, “I really wish he would’ve stuck around long enough to prove that but OK maybe you’re right. He’s the goat.”

Like Jones, Khabib too started his MMA career in 2008. He accrued a brilliant record of 29 wins and 0 losses as well as 3 successful title defenses against great fighters like Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Jones too has an impressive record of 26 wins and 1 loss, which famously came via 12-6 elbows against Matt Hamill. Additionally, he had also kept his title for a much longer time.

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However, Khabib announced his retirement in 2020. The Russian fighter stayed undefeated till his retirement and, because of his exceptional record, fans consider him to be the greatest fighter. It seems that because of Khabib’s early retirement, Jones is not convinced that ‘The Eagle’ has proved that he deserves the GOAT title. 

Jones has proved that he is the best in the light heavyweight division and so has Khabib in the lightweight division. Thus, comparing fighters from different divisions might not be entirely fair. Despite the varying factors, the GOAT debate will continue to rage on amongst fans of the sport.

Which of the two outstanding fighters would you choose as the GOAT? Let us know in the comments below.

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