Throwback: When Khabib Nurmagomedov's father hailed Jon Jones as No.1 fighter and made bold prediction about a heavyweight run
Jon Jones is widely considered to be the best MMA fighter of all time. His first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title at UFC 285 bolstered those claims. Naturally, Jones receives unrivaled adoration from his MMA peers, who place him on a pedestal.
Interestingly, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the late father of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, once claimed that Jones' talent is simply divine. He lavished praise on 'Bones' and even speculated on how Jones would fare if he moved to heavyweight.
In a past excerpt from Red Corner MMA, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov stated:
"Jon Jones got his talent from God, not from Greg Jackson [Jones' coach]. Greg Jackson is a good striking coach. Don't confuse those two things. Jon Jones is No.1 out of all fighters. Maybe not in terms of behavior or the law or anything else."
He even stated that Jones would beat the top five heavyweight fighters:
"I'm confident that he will wipe out the top-five heavyweights. That's my expert opinion."
Check out the video below:
Khabib's father talking about Jon Jones at heavyweight back in 2016: https://t.co/W0lSDwBmSd
Jones' influence in the sport is exemplified by the acclaim of a renowned trainer like Abulmanap, who has shaped champions such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.
With his light heavyweight title victory over Mauricio Rua at the age of 23, Jones became the youngest UFC champion in history. He holds numerous UFC records in the 205-pound division, including the most title defenses, the most wins, and the longest win streak.
MMA fighters react to Jones being crowned the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion:
Daniel Cormier reacts to Jon Jones being crowned UFC heavyweight champion
Jon Jones made the most-anticipated comeback in recent memory by moving up in weight class and winning the heavyweight championship.
The American fighter defeated Ciryl Gane with a guillotine choke in a bout that was far easier than it appeared to be in the lead-up to UFC 285. For Jones, who took a three-year break from the sport, returning to the octagon and making his heavyweight debut was the realization of a lifelong ambition.
With this victory, Jones is being hailed as the undisputed GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in the sport by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, Dana White, and the MMA community at large.
In an interview with ESPN, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier, who has fought Jones twice in the past, commented on Jones' performance at UFC 285:
"It was a great performance. Jones told anyone that would listen that this was going to be easy.... That this was a mismatch. He went out there and proved it. No one could have expected what Jon Jones did to Ciryl Gane in that fight."
Check out the video below: