Jon Jones rains praise on Dagestani fighters: "They are the future of the sport"
Jon Jones voiced his respect for Dagestani fighters following UFC 302.
On Saturday night, Islam Makhachev extended his lightweight title reign in the UFC 302 main event with a fifth-round submission against Dustin Poirier. The Dagestani fighter's 14th consecutive win again proved why he's listed as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC rankings.
Jones, the number two pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC rankings, took to Twitter after Makhachev's impressive performance and engaged with fans. One person received a response from 'Bones' by asking the following question:
"What do you think about the Dagestani fighters @JonnyBones"
Jon Jones responded by praising Makhachev and the other Dagestani fighters who have made a name for themselves in MMA:
"I have high respect for them all, they are the future of the sport. The work ethic seems to be unmatched."
Before Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov was the primary fighter who put Dagestan on the MMA map. In October 2020, Nurmagomedov retired from combat sports with an undefeated record of 29-0, solidifying him as one of the greatest 155-pound fighters of all time.
Jon Jones asks fans about Jailton Almeida's performance at UFC 302
UFC 302 was mostly an uneventful pay-per-view besides several impressive performances, including Islam Makhachev and Kevin Holland. Earlier in the night, number seven-ranked heavyweight Jailton Almeida took on Alexandr Romanov after suffering his first UFC loss against Curtis Blaydes.
Almeida secured the bounce-back win by first-round submission and regained momentum in the heavyweight rankings. The division's king, Jon Jones, was interested in how the Brazilian performed, as he asked the following question to his fans on Twitter:
"How did this guy do?"
It's unclear if Jon Jones is interested in fighting Jailton Almeida in the future, or if he's only keeping an eye on other contenders. In the meantime, 'Bones' is focused on his upcoming opponent later this year, Stipe Miocic.
Jones was scheduled to defend his heavyweight throne against Miocic in November 2023. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old legend suffered a torn pectoral muscle, postponing their matchup to 2024. Since then, fans have called for 'Bones' to face interim champion Tom Aspinall next, which seems unlikely.