“I don’t want to say Jon Jones,” another UFC fighter with a chuckle said, “but it’s Jon Jones.”įighters who took part in the survey represented a wide array of promotions, age groups, experience levels and countries. As The Athletic’s MMA staff surveyed 170 fighters this year, we found a clear - but sometimes reluctant - opinion that the UFC’s longstanding light heavyweight champion is still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The fighter wasn’t alone in this response, or in the underlying sentiment. That’s how much this particular answer pained him to give.
“Jon Jones and Jon Jones,” the fighter said, “even though I fucking hate him.”
