Nurmagomedov’s view on Jones’ prime
“I mean, he’s like 38 now,” Nurmagomedov said when asked about Jones retiring on the Hustle Show.
“But, no, he’s been gone for a while. Let’s be honest. How many fights has he had in the last five years?
“One or two in the last five years. He’s been done for a while. Even those last [light heavyweight] fights – [Thiago] Santos and [Dominick] Reyes – they were controversial.
“You know, his prime was clearly behind him. Then he fought Ciryl Gane. I think they just gave him the money. That’s it.
“Everyone has their prime, and his was long past.”
“We’re not friends,” he clarified, before speaking about his respect for Jones as an athlete.
Nurmagomedov added: “It’s really hard to compare anyone to Jon Jones.
“As a fighter, I never had questions about him. He’s a great fighter. No one can deny that.
“Like we said earlier, achievements and numbers speak for themselves.”
Quotes via Bloody Elbow