“This is number one bullsh*t” - When Jon Jones took major offense to Khabib Nurmagomedov being ranked No.1 fighter
MMA great Jon Jones reclaimed his No.1 spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings after dispatching Ciryl Gane quickly at UFC 285 to win the UFC Heavyweight title.
‘Bones’ had previously been on top of that list, and there is a good reason behind it. He has defeated three generations of elite competitors, a feat that a handful of fighters ever achieved. Therefore, the 35-year-old did not take kindly when Khabib Nurmagomedov replaced him as a P4P king following an unexpected turn of events.
After defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020, then-lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from MMA and requested the UFC to elevate him to the No.1 spot in the P4P rankings.
He had become a part of the MMA GOAT argument by that time and the UFC obliged with the request. Jones had been sitting atop the P4P rankings since his win over Thiago Santos at UFC 239.
He congratulated 'The Eagle' on his accomplishments in the sport, but went on an epic Twitter rant for his demands.
@TeamKhabib moves to No. 1 on the Pound-For-Pound rankings.This is number one bullshit twitter.com/ufc/status/132…
“This is number one bulls**t,” Jon Jones wrote.
Jones continued to launch a scathing attack on the UFC and Khabib in the weeks that followed. As expected, the UFC removed Nurmagomedov from the rankings once his retirement became official. Jones was reinstated as the P4P king until he moved down due to inactivity.
Jon Jones is back on top of the UFC P4P rankings
‘Bones’ vacated the light heavyweight title long before the P4P conflict with Khabib to move up to heavyweight. However, a major conflict with the UFC over fighter pay kept on delaying his eventual return to the octagon.
The UFC came close to putting together a mega fight between former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones on several occasions during this time. However, The Predator left the UFC over a contract dispute, putting an end to the prospects of the huge fight.
Jon Jones ended up fighting former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 for the vacant title upon returning to the octagon.
In spite of the perceived competitive parity between the two men, Jones quickly dispatched Ciryl Gane via submission due to a guillotine choke. The win left little doubt for many, at least in terms of competitive achievements, that Jon Jones is the greatest mixed martial artist in history.
And once again, he sits atop the P4P rankings.