Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach breaks down why Jon Jones is not the greatest fighter in MMA history

Jon Jones' recent retirement and the circumstances surrounding it have re-ignited the debate regarding the sport's greatest fighter of all-time. For many MMA fighters, fans and pundits, 'Bones' is the best MMA fighter the sport has ever seen. But after retiring and vacating the UFC heavyweight title instead of facing interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, Jones' status as the GOAT has come under scrutiny.

Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach, Javier Mendez, recently shared his opinion on the greatest fighter of all-time. He shared that the former heavyweight champion was not his pick for the GOAT of the sport.

Mendez explained his point during a recent episode of the Javier & Mo Show, saying:

"He could be the greatest but he isn't only because of what he did [outside of fighting]. I don't consider what he did as something of a great fighter. Muhammad Ali to me is the greatest in boxing because of what he did outside of the boxing not just in [the sport], what he did outside. And Jones, if you measure it on what he did in the octagon, yeah I'd have to say he's the greatest of all-time."

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He continued:

"But I don't measure him by that. I measure him by everything, his failed drug-tests and everything else he did. So for me, he's not the greatest."

Catch Javier Mendez's comments on Jon Jones below (4:50):

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Khabib Nurmagomedov sends Jon Jones a touching message following retirement

Jon Jones' retirement from MMA came as a surprise when it was confirmed by Dana White at the post-event press conference for UFC Baku on June 21. Several hours later 'Bones' posted a statement of his own, a reflective post from arguably the sport's most talented combatant.

He wrote:

"Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the UFC. This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years...."

Catch Jon Jones' post below:

Several days after Jones announced his retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov, a long-time admirer of Jones, took to Instagram to share a touching message with the former champion. He wrote:

"My congratulations, legend. Even [though] we were not friends, but you are the best who ever do it in UFC history and you inspire millions of people around the world. You have nothing more to prove in this sport."

Screenshot of Khabib Nurmagomedov's message to Jones

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Edited by Tejas Rathi