Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier found another excuse to start throwing verbal elbows, and yes, somehow Khabib Nurmagomedov’s place in the MMA GOAT debate is right in the middle of it. The flare-up came after Cormier praised Khabib’s perfect 29-0 run and used Jones’ lone official loss as the contrast point.
In the video, Cormier argued that Khabib’s unbeaten record deserves more respect because even the other all-time greats have a blemish somewhere.
“Think about this. Jon Jones, for as good as he is, he has one loss. Why? He made a mistake. Khabib never made a mistake. Never got himself disqualified, never got caught in a submission, he made no mistakes. Twenty-nine times to walk to that octagon against the best guys in the world and win twenty-nine times?” Cormier said.
“I don’t even really know why more people don’t share this opinion, because Georges St-Pierre has two or three losses. Demetrious Johnson, one of the greatest, has losses. This guy never lost. Cejudo, everybody lost. Even Islam, as good as he is, made one mistake, and he’s as close to Khabib as anyone. To never lose, it’s crazy, especially in the beginning of his UFC career when he didn’t have great striking. He was really relying on his wrestling and he never lost. I think it’s crazy.”
Watch the ALF Global clip below.
Jones Fires Back As The Old Cormier Rivalry Gets Fresh Fuel
Jones responded with two detailed comments of his own.
“I started in the UFC so early that I didn’t even know what the rules were. The night I fought Matt was the first night I had ever even heard the term ’12-to-6.’ Literally, my entire career has been in the main event, fighting for a world title,” Jones said.
“My brother, Daniel Cormier, your jealousy runs so deep through your blood. I honestly pray that the good Lord heals you from your envy and that, one day, you won’t feel the need to do interviews like this. Until then, it’s flattering to see the passion you have when it comes to me.”
This is why the Jones-Cormier rivalry refuses to die. These two fought at UFC 182, where Jones retained the light heavyweight title by unanimous decision, and again at UFC 214, where Jones’ knockout win was later overturned to a no contest after a failed drug test. Cormier became a two-division UFC champion anyway. Jones still sees himself as the top of the mountain. The sport keeps handing them microphones, and suddenly the old beef is back on the grill.
The Khabib argument is what made this one interesting. Cormier was not just tossing out a lazy Jones jab. He was pushing the case that Nurmagomedov’s 29-0 career, especially with no official defeat and no disqualification, belongs above names like Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Henry Cejudo, and even Islam Makhachev in the GOAT debate. That is a strong take, but mentioning Jones’ Hamill DQ in the middle of it was basically lighting a cigar next to a gas can.
Jones has been protective of his GOAT case for years, and he is not alone there. Dana White has repeatedly argued for Jones at the top, including when he pointed to Jones’ wins and title-fight history as the reason the debate still starts with him. Cormier, meanwhile, has never hidden how highly he rates Khabib, his longtime friend and American Kickboxing Academy teammate.
So no, this is not a clean spreadsheet argument. It is two former champions with history, ego, receipts, and a rivalry that still has nasty cardio. Khabib’s undefeated run is the kind of thing nobody can simply hand-wave away. Jones’ championship run is ridiculous in its own right. Cormier knows both sides better than most people alive, and Jones clearly still hears every word when DC says his name.
