Jon Jones has heaped praise on fellow UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov despite previously criticising his fighting legacy.
Jones, 35, makes his return to the octagon after a three-year layoff when he faces Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title next weekend in Las Vegas. 'Bones' hasn't fought since defending his light-heavyweight title for the last time against Dominick Reyes in February 2020, but he looks to become one of the few two-weight UFC champions by beating former interim champion Gane.
'Bones' was recently quizzed on his top-five MMA fighters of all-time, a list in which he included former lightweight champion Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' retired from fighting after submitting Justin Gaethje in October 2020, a decision that surprised many fans as Nurmagomedov was still in the prime of his career when he hung up his gloves.
