Jon Jones not only walked away from Las Vegas with the UFC heavyweight championship but also the title of the greatest of all time. His GOAT status is secured. It's no longer up for debate.
Jones made light work of Ciryl Gane to become the new UFC heavyweight champion. He joins an exclusive club of fighters who have won UFC titles at two weight divisions, having dominated at light-heavyweight where he navigated a murderer's row of fighters to clean out the division. From Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans to Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson.
That's where his GOAT journey started as he has the most wins in UFC light-heavyweight title fights (14), the most successful titles defences in UFC light-heavyweight division (11) and the most consecutive titles defences in the UFC light-heavyweight division (8).
The array of finishes is truly a marvel to behold. In my eyes, that's a GOAT trait. You'd tune into a Jones fight not just expecting his hand raised, but anticipating a sensational finish. He's done it time and time again. We're talking innovative submission victories and devastating stoppages. I'll never forget how Machida slumped to the canvas after his brutal submission and the absolute war with Gustafsson, which proved he had that dog in him.
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Jones already had a very, very strong argument for GOAT status leading into his UFC comeback last weekend. But the emphatic victory over a top contender, who has previously fought for the UFC heavyweight title, cemented his position as the best ever.
His legendary body of work over two divisions now separates him from the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson, among others.
At this point, it's undeniable. Jones' extraordinary resume is unmatched. The aforementioned St-Pierre and Silva also boasted stellar records in the UFC but it just doesn't resonate as much as Jones, who has impressive scalps over icons, budding superstars and legitimate title contenders. You are never disappointed or feeling underwhelmed after watching him compete. I don't think you can say the same about St-Pierre and Silva. While 'GSP' was a box office attraction, he'd often fight safe, and as much as I love 'The Spider', lets be honest, he stunk the place out when he met Thales Leites and Demian Maia in the Octagon.
Like Dana White said during the UFC 285 post-fight press conference, Jones is a 'special' fighter who fought all the best competition and has never been 'beaten' in the UFC.
"There’s no doubt that Jon is special," he said. "He’s the greatest of all time. He’s undefeated. He’s never lost a fight in the UFC ever.
"He’s fought all the best competition out there, but dealing with him is like dealing with an artist. That’s the best way to explain it. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out. I’m just happy we got to see what we saw tonight."
The crazy thing, too, is that Jones is still an active UFC fighter. Sure, he might only have one or two fights left in his illustrious career, but he has the chance to add some more names to his record and enhance his GOAT status. He's in a potential territory where he could obliterate all his rivals and leave everyone in his wake.
If 'Bones' is not your GOAT, then your list needs updating.
Nasir Jabbar