Jon Jones has heaped praise on fellow UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov despite previously criticising his fighting legacy.
Jones, 35, makes his return to the octagon after a three-year layoff when he faces Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title next weekend in Las Vegas. 'Bones' hasn't fought since defending his light-heavyweight title for the last time against Dominick Reyes in February 2020, but he looks to become one of the few two-weight UFC champions by beating former interim champion Gane.
'Bones' was recently quizzed on his top-five MMA fighters of all-time, a list in which he included former lightweight champion Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' retired from fighting after submitting Justin Gaethje in October 2020, a decision that surprised many fans as Nurmagomedov was still in the prime of his career when he hung up his gloves.
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“I love what Khabib represents,” Jones told RMC Sport. “We’ve had our differences in the past, I’ve made some quotes about him. But there’s never really been a real beef. I love the way he carries himself as a Muslim, I love the way he represents his country. I love the businessman that he is. He just seems like a stand-up guy, gives back to others. He’s a stand-up guy, an admirable man. I appreciate his existence.”
Jones' comments come as a surprise given his take on Nurmagomedov's legacy after he retired from fighting. The heavyweight title contender previously dismissed fans who labelled Nurmagomedov as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, insisting that his and the Russian's resumes are incomparable.
“I’m talking to all you Khabib fans out there,” Jones said after Nurmagomedov's last UFC fight. “Fifteen world titles to your guy’s four. And you guys really talking about who’s the best fighter ever? You guys are joking, right? Fifteen to four, are you guys kidding me? All you guys that are going with this, ‘He’s more dominant' argument, the guy just recently started fighting elite-level competition. Could you imagine me against the No. 10 ranked guy?”
Jones is widely considered as the greatest MMA fighter ever and UFC president Dana White that a heavyweight title win against Gane will cement Jones' position as the all-time No.1 in the sport. "When you talk about his legacy, if Jon Jones can come in and beat Ciryl Gane, I said this when I talked to you guys last time, nobody can deny that Jon Jones is the greatest of all-time," White said.
