Quote: Jon Jones Will Never Be The Greatest Of All-Time

At one point in time, Jon Jones was considered by many to be the very best fighter to have ever graced the Octagon and rightfully so.

He remains the youngest fighter in UFC history to ever win a title. He then went on to defend his light heavyweight strap eight consecutive times, and he’s never lost inside of the Octagon.

However, issues outside of the cage have tarnished his legacy a bit. He’s had numerous run-ins with the law, has failed multiple drug tests, and is currently facing a suspension that could sideline him for up to four years.

Because of this, some have begun to write him off and American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez falls into that category:

“The whole damn thing is tarnished now. Jon Jones, forget about the greatest of all time,” Mendez told Express Sport. “That’s out of the history books. There’s no way in hell anyone is going to consider him the pound-for-pound.”

Mendez knows Jones quite well, as he coaches current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, whose rivalry with Jones ranks amongst the most iconic in the sport’s history.

The two first met at UFC 182 in January 2015 where Jones scored a unanimous decision victory. They were then set to rematch at UFC 200 in July 2016, but “Bones” failed a drug test and was forced to withdraw from the bout just days prior to the event.

Finally, the two met for a second time at UFC 214 this past July where Jones scored a third-round knockout victory, but it was revealed after the fight that he had failed yet another drug test, changing the result to a no contest.

Do you agree with Mendez?