Jon Jones angry with "GOAT" praise for Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC president Dana White has been vocal about the fact that he believes Khabib Nurmagomedov should be the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. While Khabib Nurmagomedov officially retired at UFC 254, he has been getting praise, with many calling him the greatest of all time.
Jon Jones hasn't taken to this kindly. Still officially the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world, Jon Jones has been practically undefeated inside the Octagon, with his only loss coming via disqualification.
Jon Jones vacated the Light Heavyweight Championship in favor of a move to Heavyweight, but nothing has materialized just yet. Jon Jones was not pleased about Khabib Nurmagomedov getting a potential #1 rank in the pound-for-pound list.
On Twitter, Jon Jones took a shot at the UFC:
He then made it clear how the possible pound-for-pound change in rankings could affect him:
What is it that makes Khabib Nurmagomedov the potential pound-for-pound best?
Khabib Nurmagomedov is a special talent that hasn't been seen in MMA before. His grappling is second to none, and despite all the pre-existing injuries heading into UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov managed to finish the fight quickly in the second round.
Jon Jones mentioned how "you're only good as your last fight," and his past few performances inside the Octagon have seen him win close-cut decisions. Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, had been dominating the most stacked weight class in the UFC - the Lightweight division.
While Jon Jones can earn back his spot with a Heavyweight debut win, it can't be denied that Khabib Nurmagomedov earned his spot with a series of dominant victories at 155 pounds.
Either way, Jon Jones certainly has a case given the level of competition that he has faced. One could argue that recency bias is what makes people forget Jon Jones' dominant performance at Light Heavyweight.