Khabib Nurmagomedov has shared his opinion on Jon Jones’ complicated legacy after the former heavyweight champion dropped the belt and refused to fight Tom Aspinall. It’s both complimentary and a little harsh in its truths.
In an extensive interview with Russian outlet Hustle, Nurmagomedov said his fans were shocked when he congratulated Jones for retiring, saying “Bones” was “the best to ever do it in UFC history.” He explained why he didn’t take Jones’ many PED test failures, stripped titles, and
arrests into consideration.
“In the UFC, achievements and legacy are different things,” he said. “As far as achievements go, no one can compare to Jon Jones in the UFC, and it’ll be very hard for anyone in the future. There have always been, and always will be, questions about his behavior and his character.”
Khabib breaks down the comparison between him and Jon Jones — explaining that legacy and achievements are two very different things.
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 22, 2025
"In the UFC, achievements and legacy are different things. As far as achievements go, no one can compare to Jon Jones in the UFC, and it’ll… pic.twitter.com/hDzQ1r8203
“As a fighter, he’s the best, and when it comes to personal qualities, there will always be questions. As an athlete, he reached greatness, and as someone who fought in the UFC, he has no equal.”
As someone who walked away from the sport in his prime, Khabib had an honest opinion of Jones sticking around for as long as he did.
“I mean, he’s like 38 now. He’s been gone for a while. Let’s be honest,” he said. “How many fights has he had in the past five years? One or two in five years. He’s been done for a while, and even those last fights, [Thiago] Santos and [Dominick] Reyes, they were controversial. His prime was clearly behind him. His prime is long past. When he fought Ciryl Gane, I think they just gave him the money.”
“Everyone has their prime,” Nurmagomedov concluded. “And his was long past.”
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