Khabib Nurmagomedov has clarified his opinion on Jon Jones, after some UFC fans expressed surprise about the Russian deeming the American the “best who ever did it”.
Jones recently retired from mixed martial arts, vacating the UFC heavyweight title and ending a career full of accolades but also marred by controversy.
The 38-year-old is the consensus greatest light-heavyweight in UFC history, but his subsequent heavyweight run disappointed – despite his title win – and his career on the whole was affected by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law.
Still, when Jones announced his retirement in June, former UFC champion Khabib paid his respects, calling “Bones” the “best who ever did it in UFC history”.
Now, in an interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov has clarified his opinion on Jones, after some fans took exception to the lightweight legend’s comments.
“In the UFC, achievements and legacy are different things,” Nurmagomedov told Zubayraev in Russian, with a translation provided by Red Corner MMA. “I think a lot of people confuse those two concepts. As far as achievements go, no one can compare to Jon Jones in the UFC right now, and it’ll be very hard for anyone in the near future.
“So, what is legacy? It’s, let’s say… Kids, they look at you, and they feel inspired by you. That’s what legacy means: when a kid sees you and thinks, ‘I want to be like him.’
“There have always been – and always will be – questions about his behaviour, his character, and so on. But we’re not talking about that now; we’re talking about his greatness as a fighter. As a fighter, he’s the best. When it comes to personal qualities, I think there will always be questions, always. But I don’t want to ask those questions, because I don’t want to judge him, to say he’s good or bad.
“As an athlete, he reached greatness. And to me, as someone who also fought in the UFC, he has no equal. There will always be questions about doping, whether he was caught or not – and yes, he was caught. It’s a fact. But as a fighter, he’s an amazing fighter. What Jon Jones has achieved over the past 17 years in the UFC, it’s really hard to compare anyone to him. I don’t know why people reacted the way they did. As a fighter, I never had questions about him.”
In 2023, Jones returned to the UFC after a three-year hiatus, moving up to heavyweight and winning the vacant title by submitting Ciryl Gane. An injury delayed his first title defence, however, with Jones only returning to action in November 2024 to stop a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic.
All the while, Britain’s Tom Aspinall won the interim title and even defended it successfully, but Jones refused to fight the 32-year-old. Ultimately, Aspinall was elevated to regular champion when Jones retired. And Khabib hinted that a fight against Aspinall might have been too tough a test for Jones.
“How many fights has he had in the past? One or two in five years,” said the Russian, 36. “He’s been done for a while, and even those last fights, Santos and Reyes, they were controversial. His prime was clearly behind him. His prime was long past.”
Nurmagomedov was referring to Jones’s final two fights at light-heavyweight: controversial decision wins over Thiago Santos in 2019 and Dominick Reyes in 2020.
After beating Reyes, Jones gave up the light-heavyweight title and took three years off from MMA to get his body ready for a long-awaited heavyweight run. In the meantime, Francis Ngannou established himself as the best heavyweight in the world, with fans desperate to see Jones face the Cameroonian. However, Ngannou left the UFC and relinquished the heavyweight belt amid a pay dispute, before Jones returned and won the vacant gold.
US President Donald Trump recently suggested he could host a UFC event at the White House in 2026, to celebrate 250 years of American independence, leading Jones to claim he has unretired. However, UFC chief Dana White said: “I can’t risk putting [Jones] in big positions in a big spot and have something go wrong, especially [at] the White House.”
Jones responded by writing on social media: “I heard the comments made at last night’s press conference. While I was a little disappointed, I’m still in the UFC’s drug testing pool, staying sharp, and continuing to train like a professional. I’ll be ready for whatever comes next.”
Jones, who recently said he had not trained since fighting Miocic in November, added: “In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a ‘why’ that goes beyond paychecks or belts. Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose!
“The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart. They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage. For me, it’s never been just about the opponent. I’m chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment. So for now, I’ll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. I’m ready to fight on July 4th.”
