UFC legend Jon Jones believes welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev is a once-in-a-generation athlete in combat sports.
Jon Jones and two-time UFC rival Daniel Cormier reunited as coaches on ALF Reality 3, a Russian MMA reality television show. Jones and Cormier have expressed similar accounts of what it was like for the two rivals to reunite, and their assessments were less than amicable.
Jones announced his retirement from MMA last summer before targeting a return to the Octagon on the White House lawn later this year. As of this writing, it’s uncertain if he’ll get a spot on the card, as UFC CEO Dana White is hesitant to grant him another marquee fight.
In the meantime, Jones continues to sit on the sidelines and watch the UFC action from afar. One fighter in particular, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, has become one of Jones’s favorite fighters to watch.
This is in stark contrast to Jones’s thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s longtime mentor and coach. Jones has repeatedly dismissed Nurmagomedov from the UFC GOAT conversation due to his abrupt retirement in 2020.
But Jones doesn’t feel the same way about Makhachev when discussing the all-time greats.
Jon Jones gives Islam Makhachev ‘GOAT’ label after past Khabib Nurmagomedov dismissals
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Jones praised Islam Makhachev and named him as one of the all-time greats.
“I think Islam is definitely one of the greatest fighters of all time,” Jones said of Makhachev. “He’s one of the guys for sure. I’m not surprised that he’s dominating the competition. He’s a special athlete. Some guys are just chosen to do great things, and I think he’s one of those guys.
“I’m excited to watch the rest of his career. I think he has a lot of work to do, but he is on the right path, and he’s just doing everything right. He’s one of the guys in the sport I respect very much.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the UFC welterweight title at UFC 322. He’s expected to return later this year, potentially against former champion Kamaru Usman.
Jones and Makhachev could fight on the same card later this year. If that happens, expect a lot of mutual respect between the two stars.