When it comes to bad blood in the UFC, fans can’t go through the list without mentioning the likes of Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Khabib shut the haters by submitting Conor in the 4th round of their highly anticipated bout at UFC 229, he has been found chirping about his Irish arch-nemesis every chance he got.
Just a few weeks after UFC 257, where Dustin Poirier earned a TKO victory over Conor during their rematch, Khabib appeared on the MMAGA show. He spoke on a variety of subjects, including those outside of MMA. It was only a matter of time before the interviewer asked him about the former double champ.
While the Dagestani isn’t known for a whole lot of public appearances or trash-talking, but, whenever he does appear on a talk show or an interview, he knows a Conor McGregor question is on its way. He has never shied away from giving his honest views on his Irish arch nemesis, no matter how much animosity the two share despite it being 4 years to their bout.
When asked if he thinks Conor will come back stronger, post his recent loss, Khabib said “Never. There is no way a man can be at the peak for two times.”
Then Khabib went on to clear the air by saying “I’m not talking about [just] him. What I mean is, a man can’t have two primes. A team could do it, for example, Real Madrid. They did this a few times in a row. Teams may have this [peak twice]. But we are talking about us [individual sportspersons], and one man on his own can’t have this.”
Jon Jones captures gold after a 3-year hiatus
Despite what Khabib expressed in the above interview, Jon Jones did what the Russian fighter considered unthinkable. Jones, who last fought in February 2020, was coming off a 3-year layoff into his comeback bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. This fight also marked Jon’s heavyweight debut, as he bulked up to a good 248 pounds on the scales.
THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME IS NOW THE HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMP 🏆
JON JONES SUBMITS CIRYL GANE!! #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/JOiAnweVJ5
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2023
However, this wasn’t the only case where a fighter has fought against all the odds, especially age, and won a world title. Glover Teixeira is a great example. In October 2021, Glover submitted Jan Błachowicz to win the light heavyweight gold at the age of 42. Unfortunately, he lost the belt in his first title defense against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275.
Does Jon’s recent performance put the nail in the coffin of the ever-lasing GOAT debate? Or will it take more for him to stay on the top of the P4P list? Let us know in the comments.
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