Dana White says Jon Jones 'does make it hard for people to like him' but agrees he is one of the greatest fighters of all time
Dana White has suggested that Jon Jones “does make it hard for people to like him.” However, the UFC president emphasized that Jones is one of the greatest fighters of all time.
In an interview with Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox, Dana White opened up on multiple topics, including Jon Jones’ long-awaited heavyweight debut.
Fox asked Dana White whether he would book Jon Jones to compete in a UFC heavyweight title fight in his heavyweight debut, or if he’d like Jones to first prove his mettle in the division. White responded by stating:
“I have no idea. But yeah, he would be a guy that you could throw right in there. I mean, many people believe he’s the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), man, that he’s the best. And realistically, when you look at him, he’s undefeated; never lost a fight.”
Jon Jones’ only MMA defeat came via DQ (Disqualification) due to illegal elbows against Matt Hamill back in December 2009. Robbie Fox jested that he counts that as a legitimate loss for Jon Jones because he doesn’t like ‘Bones.’ Dana White replied by saying:
“I hear you, you know. He does make it hard for people to like him, you know. There’s people who love him, and there’s other people who hate him. But what you can’t deny; the guy has never lost a fight, man. You can’t deny that. You can hate him and say, ‘Oh yeah, it was an illegal elbow.’ He won the fight. He was beating the sh** out of him. He beat the sh** out of him so bad, he got disqualified. Okay? Jon Jones has never lost a fight. And I think that people don’t appreciate [Kamaru] Usman, and Jones, and these people that stay on top for so long and never lose; Amanda Nunes. It’s so special. It’s really special.”
Watch Dana White’s interview with Barstool Sports in the video below:
The highly-anticipated Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou dream fight could come to fruition in 2022
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is set to face interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in a title unification matchup at UFC 270 on January 22nd. The winner of the fight will emerge as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and is likely to defend the title against Jon Jones next.
Many believe the undefeated Gane could become the undisputed champion at UFC 270. That said, one of the most highly-anticipated fights in MMA history is a potential clash between fan-favorite KO artist Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
As for former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, he’s vowed to capture the UFC heavyweight title regardless of who holds the title in 2022.