UFC legend Jon Jones says that former lightweight and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria was the biggest threat to his GOAT status.
Many MMA fans consider Jones, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, the greatest fighter in UFC history.
Jones, too, believes in his title as the UFC’s GOAT, though he admits that he thought Topuria had a chance to catch him — that is, before he was finished by Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in one of the biggest upsets of all time.
Jon Jones Speaks on Ilia Topuria as UFC GOAT Threat
Speaking to Prince Street Pizza, Jones admitted that he thought Topuria was the one MMA fighter who could challenge him for his UFC GOAT status before he saw him lose to Gaethje.
“Ilia Topuria (excites me). Before that White House card, I looked at him as (invincible). As bad as I want other fighters to come and beat my records and become the next greatest, there’s another side of me that wants to hold onto that for my kid’s sake and my family’s honor. “Honestly, I thought Ilia would be the first threat to be considered the greatest of all time and then we saw what happened to him,” Jones said (via MMAFighting.com).
Jon Jones Still High on Ilia Topuria
Despite Topuria’s loss to Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, Jones is still high on him as a fighter, and he believes he will bounce back in his MMA career.
“But when it comes to entertainment, his boxing and his power and his confidence and everything about him. I like the way he carries himself outside the ring. He comes from a successful family and he’s a guy who doesn’t have to fight, he doesn’t need the money but he does it out of love and those are the reasons that made me a big Ilia fan,” Jones said.
“He’s doing all the right things. His recovery, all of it, he’s a guy who deserves to win.”
Topuria does not have his next fight booked, but he has been linked to a grudge match against UFC rival Paddy Pimblett.
Jon Jones: Ilia Topuria Was Biggest Threat to UFC GOAT Status