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Khabib Nurmagomedov still believes Jon Jones is the MMA GOAT. | Getty/UFC
Khabib Nurmagomedov believes there’s a clear-cut No. 1 heavyweight in mixed martial arts today.
And it isn’t Jon Jones.
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Jones recently retired, and then promptly re-entered the drug testing pool two weeks later whe President Donald Trump announced his plans to hold a UFC card at the White House in 2026. While Jones has received his fair share of criticism for avoiding a fight against Tom Aspinall, Nurmagomedov points to “Bones” lack of activity in recent years as a sign that his best days are behind him.
“I mean, he’s like 38 now,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Hustle Show” (translation via Red Corner MMA). 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.”
With that being said, Nurmagomedov believes Aspinall has a long way to go to match Jones in terms of overall career achievements.
“So whether or not he should have fought Aspinall, that question will probably always be out there. But that’s one question,” Nurmagomedov said. “Another is: When Aspinall completes his career, and Jon Jones finishes his — only then will people understand their levels. Then we’ll really be able to compare. For Aspinall to reach Jones’ level — his legacy — that will be extremely hard. Right now, yeah, to me Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the world.”
Khabib: Jones Accomplishments Speak for Themselves
The former UFC lightweight champion came under some scrutiny when he congratulated Jones following his short-lived retirement, praising “Bones” as the best to ever do it.. “The Eagle” still stands by that statement.
“It’s really hard to compare anyone to Jon Jones<,” Nurmagomedov said. “And I don’t know why people reacted the way they did. 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.”
😲👀Khabib says Jon Jones is past his prime and believes Tom Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the world right now.
“How many fights has he had in the past? One or two in five years. He’s been done for a while, and even those last fights — Santos and Reyes — they were… pic.twitter.com/D7sUe0JVcN
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 22, 2025
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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