Teddy Atlas has detailed the primary reason Jon Jones is the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
On March 4, Jones solidified himself as the MMA GOAT by becoming the UFC heavyweight champion after three years of inactivity. Although some people might argue against that claim because of his failed drug tests, the resume and accomplishments of ‘Bones’ is second to none.
During an episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, the legendary boxing trainer had this to say about what makes Jones special:
“The one reason that [Jon] Jones is the GOAT is that he’s got something that very few people have. That unrelenting belief that he can’t be beat, that mental psyche… That’s powerful. I don’t care if you wait three years or thirty years. When you have that, it’s like if you were in a gunfight and the other guy has a six-shooter and you have a Gatling gun. When you have that, a lot of people don’t realize that, they’re just looking at the physical parts of it, you got everything, and Jon Jones has that.”
Before returning at UFC 285, Jones last fought in February 2020, defeating Dominick Reyes to retain the light heavyweight championship. ‘Bones’ decided to vacate the 205-pound title and pursue a new challenge at heavyweight. Although most people predicted he would beat Gane, the MMA community was shocked when the former light heavyweight king won by first-round submission.
Teddy Atlas praises Jon Jones for always finding a way to win
Jon Jones had several close calls throughout his historic eighteen-fight win streak. Whether it was a close decision (Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos) or nearly getting finished (Vitor Belfort), Jones always found a way to emerge victorious.
During the same podcast episode, Teddy Atlas praised Jones by saying:
“He’s gonna find a way. That’s one of the greatness about guys like Jones, they’re gonna find a way. If the lights are flickering, if the lights are dark, they’re gonna find a way to put the lights on. They don’t give a d*mn what they gotta do. If they have to climb up and pull the sun down to bring light, whatever it is, they have that mindset.”
Jones holds a 21-1 UFC record with one no-contest. The only loss came from a disqualification for illegal elbows in a fight that ‘Bones’ was dominating against Matt Hamill. The 35-year-old defended the light heavyweight championship a record-setting eleven times, including wins against several MMA legends. He’s expected to defend his heavyweight throne for the first time against Stipe Miocic at International Fight Week in July.
