Khabib Nurmagomedov praised Jon Jones on his MMA legacy following his shock retirement.
Jon Jones subsequently called Dana White and announced that he would be walking away from the promotion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has previously stated that Jones is one of the greatest fighters the UFC have had.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Praises Jon Jones
Following UFC Baku, which Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree headlined, many expected Dana White to do his usual post-fight press conference. Whilst the press conference went ahead, White announced that Jon Jones has retired from MMA. As a result, it led many fighters across the MMA community to praise Jones. This included Khabib Nurmagomedov and others such as Demetrious Johnson.
Writing on Instagram, the former lightweight champion said, “My congratulations legend, even though we were not friends, but you are the best to ever do it in UFC history, and you inspire millions of people around the world. You have nothing more to prove in this sport.”
Since his retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov has transitioned into a coach, training Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov. Whilst Jones hasn’t stated what is next, many fans believe that the American avoided a fight with Tom Aspinall.
Shock Retirement Leads to New Heavyweight Champion
Following Saturday’s shock announcement, Dana White announced that Tom Aspinall would now be the heavyweight champion. After eleven months of waiting for Jon Jones, the Brit finally has the belt without facing off in the Octagon. Fans were treated to a quick message from the new champion.
Tom Aspinall stated that he would be the most active heavyweight champion and follow in his legacy to become the greatest heavyweight fighter the UFC has had. Many comments on the video stated that Jones had avoided the UK fighter, but others believe that Jon Jones had nothing left to prove.
Do you agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov? Comment below
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
