Islam Makhachev has entered the GOAT argument, and he went straight at Jon Jones.
The UFC welterweight champion replied on X to Jones’ defense of his own record. Jones had been pushing back on Daniel Cormier, who has long kept Jones out of his personal top spot because of multiple failed drug tests, including the one that scrapped their UFC 200 rematch. Cormier puts his longtime teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov at the top instead.
Jones mocked Cormier’s latest comments and told Makhachev to keep doing what he is doing. Makhachev did not take it as a compliment.
Jon, I’m not trying to diminish your achievements in any way. But your whole life seems to be tied to breaking the rules one way or another, and somehow, you’re never the one to be blamed.
Jones has questioned whether Makhachev belongs in the conversation at all, pointing to the knockout loss Makhachev suffered to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in 2015. That remains the only defeat of his career.
Makhachev has not lost since. He passed Anderson Silva’s UFC record with his 17th straight win, a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August, and has won titles at lightweight and welterweight.
Jones has not responded. He is expected in Gable Steveson’s corner at UFC 331 this weekend.
