UFC legend Jon Jones believes welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev is a once-in-a-generation athlete in combat sports.<\/p>\n
Jon Jones and two-time UFC rival Daniel Cormier reunited as coaches on ALF Reality 3, a Russian MMA reality television show. Jones and Cormier have expressed similar accounts of what it was like for the two rivals to reunite, and their assessments were less than amicable.<\/p>\n
Jones announced his retirement from MMA last summer before targeting a return to the Octagon on the White House lawn later this year. As of this writing, it\u2019s uncertain if he\u2019ll get a spot on the card, as UFC CEO Dana White is hesitant to grant him another marquee fight.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Jones continues to sit on the sidelines and watch the UFC action from afar. One fighter in particular, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, has become one of Jones\u2019s favorite fighters to watch.<\/p>\n
This is in stark contrast to Jones\u2019s thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev\u2019s longtime mentor and coach. Jones has repeatedly dismissed Nurmagomedov from the UFC GOAT conversation<\/a> due to his abrupt retirement in 2020.<\/p>\n But Jones doesn\u2019t feel the same way about Makhachev when discussing the all-time greats.<\/p>\n Jon Jones gives Islam Makhachev \u2018GOAT\u2019 label after past Khabib Nurmagomedov dismissals<\/p>\n