Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones compares his legacy to UFC star Conor McGregor.
There’s no denying that Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the UFC and one of the most popular athletes in the world, but will he be remembered as one of the all-time greats?
Some fans argue that, because McGregor has never defend a world title, ‘The Notorious’ should be excluded from the pound-for-pound discussion. And, who better to weigh in on the conversation than pound-for-pound king Jon Jones, who is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 this Saturday.
Speaking to ESPN in a recent interview, ‘Bones’ credited McGregor for building his brand and catapulting the sport of MMA to new heights but doesn’t think the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion will be remembered for his accomplishments and skills inside the cage.
“I look at Khabib and Conor and I see how internationally known they are and it inspires me for sure to work on my brand a little bit more outside of fighting,” Jones said on ESPN First Take (h/t Abhinav Kini of Low Kick MMA). “At the end of the day, for me, it’s not about making the most money, it’s not about being the most famous — it’s about being the guy people are going to talk about 50, 100 years from now. That’s what really gets me out of bed in the morning.
“At the end of the day — no disrespect to Conor because I love what he’s doing for our sport — I don’t think he’s going to be in the conversation when people are sitting around in the barber shop talking about the greatest martial artists in the world. So I’m very aware of that. The box office stuff can come eventually. I’m only 32. But for the most part, those records are very hard to get and that’s what really gets me going in the morning.”
McGregor became the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history when he TKO’d Eddie Alvarez to capture the lightweight strap at UFC 205, and the 31-year-old is even planning on winning a third world title at welterweight.
Jones, on the other hand, has defended his light heavyweight title ten times and, despite numerous failed drug tests, is considered by many to be the pound-for-pound No. 1.
UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes takes place on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.