Khabib Nurmagomedov is a big admirer of Jon Jones fighting ability, having called him ‘the best fighter in UFC history’, but at the same time he’s now been brutally honest in his assessment of the later stages of the star’s career.
“I mean, he’s, like, 38 now,” Nurmagomedov said on the Hustle Show (translated to English). “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? One or two in five years. He’s been done for a while, and even those last [light heavyweight] fights—[Thiago] Santos and [Dominick] Reyes—they were controversial. You know, kind of, 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.
“So whether or not he should’ve fought Aspinall, that question will probably always be out there. But that’s one question. 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’ll be extremely hard. Very difficult.”
Nurmagomedov then went on to explain how he separates Jones’ accomplishments in the Octagon from the long list of troubles along the way that some believe has tainted his legacy.
“In the UFC, achievements and legacy are different things,” Khabib said. “I think a lot of people confuse those two concepts. As far as achievements go, no one can compare to Jon Jones in the UFC right now. And it’ll be very hard for anyone in the near future. So what is legacy? It’s when, let’s say, kids, they look at you, and they feel inspired by you. That’s what legacy means. When they try to imitate you. When a kid sees you and thinks, ‘I want to be like him.’ … There have always been and always will be questions about [Jones’] behavior, his character, and so on. But we’re not talking about that now, we’re talking about his greatness as a fighter. As a fighter, he’s the best.
“As a person—in terms of inspiration, character—when it comes to personal qualities, I think there will always be questions, always. But I don’t want to ask those questions, because I don’t want to judge him, to say he’s good or bad. As an athlete, he reached greatness. And to me, as someone who also fought in the UFC, he has no equal. There will always be questions about doping, whether he was caught or not. And yes, he was caught. It’s a fact, what, like three times? But as a fighter, he’s an amazing fighter.”
