Jon Jones has dominated mixed martial arts for the best part of two decades.
‘Bones’ is widely considered the UFC GOAT and heads into his legacy fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16 as a two-time undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion and the current UFC heavyweight champion.
Jones remains the youngest UFC champion of all time and has seen it all and done it all during his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
But even he admits nothing comes close to Conor McGregor in terms of levelling up MMA and turning it into the sport it is today.
The Irishman took the fight game by storm by in 2013, winning two world titles over the next three years and establishing himself as the biggest pay-per-view draw on the planet.
To this day, McGregor has eight of the 10 highest-grossing pay-per-view events in the promotion’s history. Both his impact on the UFC as a commercial enterprise and the popularisation of MMA across the globe are virtually impossible to quantify.
Game, as they say, recognises game, and although Jones is one of the biggest stars the sport has ever produced, he heaped praise on ‘The Notorious’ for fast-forwarding MMA ‘ten years’.
“I would love to see McGregor come back,” Jones told the OverDogs podcast last year.
“He will always get my pay-per-view buy, I love what he did for the sport, I love the businessman that he is and the mindset. His marketability? He fast forwarded this whole game up around ten years, I feel. He’s always going to have my support and he’ll always get my pay-per-view buy.”
Both fighters hold a special place in UFC history.
Only seven fighters in have ever won belts in multiple divisions, including Jones and McGregor.
McGregor won featherweight and lightweight gold while Jones won at light heavyweight and is the current heavyweight champ.
However, there have only been four simultaneous two-division UFC champions. McGregor was the first, coining the phrase ‘champ champ’ when he held the 145lb and 155lb strap at the same time in 2016.
The now 36-year-old hasn’t stepped foot inside the famous Octagon since July 2021, when he suffered a defeat and a broken leg at the hands of Dustin Poirier.
He coached opposite Michael Chandler on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’ and was scheduled to fight ‘Iron’ in a 170lb bout at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024.
However, Mystic Mac’s long-awaited return to the UFC was postponed indefinitely after suffering another injury setback, leaving his fighting future shrouded in uncertainty.
Ahead of his own eagerly-awaited return at UFC 285 last year, the undefeated Jones reiterated his belief that the sport is better off with an active McGregor.
“There’s only one Conor McGregor,” Jones told reporters before submitting Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant heavyweight title.
“I love Conor. I love what he represents. He’s big. He has this gigantic brand. Some say it’s just as big as our sport.
“It’s going to be great when he comes back. He’s going to bring a whole new energy, even more fans – it’s great for all of us. It’s great for the sponsors. It’s great for the UFC.”
“I wish Conor all the best,” Jones went on.
“I love the way he’s living his life. I never thought in my time that I’d see an MMA fighter with a Lamborghini yacht, but he’s done it. I’m so proud of him. It opens doors for all of us. It lets young fighters know that it’s possible. There’s great business outside of the sport. There’s life-changing opportunity outside of the sport. I’m just so grateful for (him) being that example for all of us.”
Jones vs Miocic has been a long time coming.
The legacy heavyweight scrap was initially booked for UFC 295 in November 2023, but fell apart when Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle in training.
Tom Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight belt in Jones’ absence, but now ‘Bones’ returns for a career-defining bout with Stipe that could make him an MMA immortal.
Former two time UFC heavyweight champion Miocic is widely considered the heavyweight GOAT. But at 42 and coming off a brutal KO defeat to Francis Ngannou, many have questioned how much he’s got left in the tank.
We’ll find out on November 16 when Jones and Miocic headline UFC 309 live from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
