Georges St-Pierre hails Jon Jones as a once in a lifetime talent.
Jones reigned over decades of the light heavyweight division before opting to relinquish his title in 2020 and move up to heavyweight. After three years away, Jones returned to quickly submit Ciryl Gane and claim the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.
When looking at all the attributes of a fighter, former two-division UFC champ St-Pierre says Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) has it all.
“If you ask me in terms of where we are now, I think it’s hard to find someone better than Jon Jones,” St-Pierre said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “Jon Jones is extremely talented, but he’s also extremely tough. People have no idea how tough he is. I’ve trained with him. I’ve seen him going through the grind. He’s so freaking tough. I remember (his fight) with Vitor Belfort – his arm got dislocated and he fought with a dislocated arm.
“Even in one of his fights, his toe was broken. Most of the time when you have a guy that is very talented, it doesn’t come with toughness. Jon Jones is the full package. He’s got everything: elite striker, elite grappler – he’s good everywhere. Of course, there are things people will say – he did this, he did that, in terms of who’s the best, and he came back, beat Ciryl Gane the way he did. It’s hard to have an argument (against him).”
However, in terms of who had the most impact on him, St-Pierre picked Royce Gracie – the winner of UFC 1 and two other tournaments in 1993 and 1994.
“The one that made the difference for me because he inspired me was Royce Gracie,” St-Pierre said. “Do I think Royce Gracie would do well nowadays in the octagon? No, I don’t. I think the best pound-for-pound in that regard is not even born yet because things will start to get better. Records are made to be beaten. For the time being, the person who has done something that will never be done again, I think Royce Gracie is No. 1 for me. I grew up watching him.”
