Jon Jones, arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history, does not hand out compliments to just anyone. But when he does, it usually means that the athlete has done something truly special. And while the UFC roster is filled with elite warriors, according to ‘Bones’, one fighter stands closer than most to GOAT territory.

That athlete is none other than the two-division UFC champion, Islam Makhachev. Yes, ahead of names like Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira, Jones chose the Dagestani star as someone genuinely approaching greatness. During his illustrious run under Dana White’s leadership, Makhachev broke his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s record by defending the lightweight title four times. He then moved up and conquered the welterweight division as well. Because of those achievements, Jones believes Islam deserves a serious place in the GOAT discussion.  

Jon Jones hails Islam Makhachev as one of the greatest UFC fighters ever

“I think Islam Makhachev is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He’s one of the guys for sure. I’m not surprised that he has dominated competition. He’s a special athlete. I mean, some guys are just chosen to do great things, and I think he’s one of those guys. I’m excited to watch the rest of his career. I think he has a lot of work to do. But I think he’s on the right path, just doing everything right, and he’s one of the guys in the sport that I respect very much,” ‘Bones’ told Red Corner MMA in a recent interview.

As the former two-division champion praised Islam Makhachev, it also needs to be recognized that Jones has long shown respect toward fighters from Dagestan. He openly admired Khabib Nurmagomedov during his reign as the lightweight king and often spoke highly of the Russians’ discipline and work ethic. However, ‘Bones’ has also had his share of friction with them, especially with the current 170-pound champion.

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After Makhachev defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, the Dagestani icon overtook Jones as the new pound-for-pound king. That moment did not sit well with the 38-year-old legend, who took subtle shots at Islam’s performance and questioned his dominance over ‘The Diamond’. But now, it appears Jones has finally come around, giving full respect to the newest two-division champion.

Now, while Jon Jones has praised Islam for his achievements, the same warmth may not extend to his teammate. Ahead of the ALF reality show, ‘Bones’ and his longtime rival Daniel Cormier, who once shared the gym with the welterweight champion at American Kickboxing Academy, have once again started trading verbal heat, reviving memories of their iconic rivalry. 

‘Bones’ vs ‘DC’ rivalry heats up once again  

Like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, MMA fans widely recognize Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier as one of the ugliest rivalries in UFC history. ‘Bones’ may have won the feud inside the Octagon by defeating ‘DC’ twice, though, ‘Bones’ UFC 214 win turned into a ‘no contest’. But outside the cage, the bad blood has never truly faded. No matter how much time passes, these two simply cannot leave the past behind and move on.

Now, the iconic rivals are set to square off once again as opposing coaches on the Russian version of The Ultimate Fighter, the ALF reality show. Although Russian producers run the project, the crew has been filming the season in Thailand. During the early buildup, Jones tried to keep things friendly with his longtime rival. However, Cormier stirred the pot by calling for a wrestling match, which pushed the Albuquerque native to respond with even more venom.

“Oh, man, what a stuffy, just d—d Cormier really is. I think if you really get to know Daniel Cormier, he’s really not – he’s an a—-le. He was an a—le. I mean, he didn’t really connect with any of the fighters here. He’s just an a—le. I tried to make peace with him many times, and he made it very clear that he wants to be enemies for the rest of his life because how lucrative it is, and he’s just a – I don’t know,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. 

With this old rivalry finding its essence in a new setting, UFC fans are once again feeling a wave of nostalgia, and the fighters themselves may not be immune to it either. Still, to clear the air, Jones and Cormier are not actually going to fight, despite the verbal jabs and heated exchanges.

That said, do you think Jon Jones would receive the same level of respect from Islam Makhachev while reigniting his beef with the Dagestani’s former teammate? Let us know in the comments section below.