Ultimate veteran in the UFC, Jon Jones has since witnessed the rise, then the fall of Conor McGregor. Recently launched on the divisive case of the Notorious, he did not slip away and delivered his very clear point of view on his subject.
Although they only show a year apart, they would almost embody two very distinct generations in the common spirit. Because while Jon Jones already reigned over the UFC and the light heavyweight division at just 23 years old, Conor McGregor was still unknown to the general public. Arrived on the prestigious circuit two years later, he also quickly made a name for himself before making history in his turn.
Jon Jones and Conor McGregor goes south frank
UFC symbols of the 2010s, Jones and McGregor are still active today. But while one has managed to stay at the top by taking the -120kg belt, the other remains far from the cage and continues to annoy. Don’t count on “Bones” to join the Notorious’ detractors, however. As he already did a few months agohe preferred to praise his influence at the microphone of the podcast OverDogs :
Jon knows MMA would be different today without Conor’s impact 🤝 pic.twitter.com/AXG3XNtgGh
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 30, 2023
Conor allowed the UFC to take a leap of at least ten years (in its development).
Arrived at the top well before his Irish counterpart, Jones recognizes despite everything the impact that the latter could have had compared to him. Indeed, without CMG, the UFC would probably not display the influence on which it can rely today.
Thanks to Conor, the federation has succeeded in breaking down the barriers of simple MMA and combat sports and becoming an entertainment league that is widely followed around the world. No wonder, then, that the current heavyweight champion is very grateful to him and continues to deliver rave reviews about him:
I would love to see him come back. He can always count on me to buy his pay-per-views. I admire what he has done for this sport and the businessman he is, his state of mind and his marketing potential. (…) He will always have my support.
A speech that will certainly please the principal concerned, who receives less and less praise of the genre from other figures in the middle over the years. Jones remains faithful to him despite everything and obviously does not intend to turn his back on him.
At a time when criticism of Conor McGregor is a fad, Jon Jones goes against the grain and reaffirms the affection and respect he has for him. It would therefore not be surprising to see the Notorious in Madison Square Garden for UFC 295!
2023-08-31 23:04:38
