UFC legend Jon Jones considers current UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev to be one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Right now, there are very few fighters on Islam Makhachev’s level – if there are any. After his successful run in the lightweight division, he moved up to welterweight and won a second world title. While it is unclear how much longer he will continue to compete, no one can deny that he is building quite a legacy for himself in mixed martial arts.
Looking ahead to the future, one or two big wins could really elevate Islam Makhachev to the next level in the GOAT conversation. A lot of people already have him in that debate, and hold him in pretty high regard, like Jon Jones. ‘Bones’ is a controversial figure as we all know, but his opinion of other fighters is certainly worth considering given what he himself has achieved.
In a recent interview, Jon Jones said the following when commenting on Islam Makhachev’s achievements in the sport.
Jon Jones praises Islam Makhachev as one of the GOATS
“I think Islam is definitely one of the greatest fighters of all time,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. “He’s definitely one of those guys. I’m not surprised he’s dominating the competition. He’s a special athlete. Some guys are just chosen to do great things, and I think he’s one of those guys.”
“I’m excited to see the rest of his career. I think he still has a lot of work to do, but he’s on the right track and he’s just doing everything right. He’s one of the guys in the sport that I really respect.”
Quotes via MMA junkie
Makhachev’s position compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov is something that is always up for debate, especially considering the close bond between the two men. Khabib retired undefeated, which won’t be possible for Islam considering his only knockout defeat. That said, a lot of people in the GOAT talk have been defeated in the past, and the way Makhachev bounced back from that was quite remarkable.
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