Jon Jones serenades ‘special athlete’ Islam Makhachev in surprising confession about Dagestani superstar

Jon Jones and two-time UFC rival Daniel Cormier reunite as coaches for ALF Reality 3, a Russian MMA reality TV show. Jones and Cormier have offered similar stories about what it was like for the two rivals to reunite, and their assessments were less than amicable.

Jones announced his retirement from MMA last summer before focusing on a return to the Octagon on the White House lawn later this year. At the time of writing, it is uncertain whether he will get a spot on the card as UFC CEO Dana White is reluctant to give him another big fight.

Meanwhile, 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’ favorite fighters to watch.

This is in stark contrast to Jones’ thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s longtime mentor and coach. Jones has repeatedly excluded Nurmagomedov from the UFC GOAT conversation due to his abrupt retirement in 2020.

But Jones doesn’t feel the same way about Makhachev when he talks about the all-time greats.

Jon Jones gives Islam Makhachev the ‘goat’ label after previous dismissals of Khabib Nurmagomedov

In a recent interview with Red Corner MMAJones praised Islam Makhachev, calling him one of the all-time greats.

“I think Islam is definitely one of the greatest fighters of all time,” Jones said of Makhachev. “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.” (h/t MMA junkie)

Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the UFC welterweight title at UFC 322. He is expected to return later this year, possibly against former champion Kamaru Usman.

Jones and Makhachev could compete on the same card later this year. If that happens, expect a lot of mutual respect between the two stars.