'Made me a big fan' - Jon Jones picks the one fighter who could have overtaken him as the UFC GOAT

Jon Jones picked the one person he believes could have overtaken him as the greatest UFC fighter of all time.

Jones is widely regarded as the UFC’s greatest fighter, having conquered both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions and boasted a record 15 title-fight wins.

But the 39-year-old admitted that one fighter looked on course to challenge his GOAT status: the enigmatic Ilia Topuria.

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Jones considered Topuria as a threat to his GOAT status

Topuria, 29, was on top of the world.He was undefeated in his first 17 UFC bouts, a streak that included KOs over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway to claim and retain the featherweight title, as well as the dethroning of Charles Oliveira in the first round to capture the lightweight title.

The Spaniard was on course to become the first fighter in UFC history to defend titles in two divisions while remaining undefeated, only to be stopped by Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

Reflecting on Topuria’s career so far, Jones told the Prince Street Pizza podcast: “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 kids sake and my family’s honour.

“Honestly, I thought that Ilia would be the first threat to me being considered the greatest of all time. And we saw what happened to him.

“But when it comes to entertainment, his boxing, his power, and his confidence. Everything about him.

“I like the way he carries himself outside the ring. He comes from a successful family - he’s a guy who doesn’t have to fight, he doesn’t need the money, but he does it out of love.

“Those are some of the reasons that made me a big Ilia fan.”

What next for Topuria?

While the White House event in June saw Gaethje inflict facial injuries and a shattered foot on Topuria, the Spanish-Georgian fighter is already widely reported to be seeking a rematch with the American 39-year-old.

However, the likelihood of a repeat bout remains uncertain.

Topuria has returned to training, but Gaethje is yet to reveal whether he will defend his title or walk away from the sport altogether.

Whatever happens, Jones noted that “losing can be the greatest thing to happen to an athlete” while highlighting that Topuria was “doing all the right things” to make a comeback.

“We have the same agent and we’re with the same management company so I get to hear a lot about what’s going on for him behind the scenes,” Jones revealed. “He’s doing all the right things [to stage a comeback].

“His recovery - all of it. He’s a guy that deserves to win.

“Sometimes losing can be the greatest thing to happen to an athlete, if they’re a person that has the right mentors, that keeps their head straight.

“The mind is important after a loss. Who’s rallying around you? What are you feeding yourself? Is it negativity? Is it a doubt? Or is it vengeance?”

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