“He beats the monsters” - When Khamzat Chimaev gave an honest take on Jon Jones’ GOAT status 

UFC middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev shared his thoughts on Jon Jones being labeled by many as the greatest of all time for his incredible MMA career.

Chimaev fought only once in 2024 but delivered arguably the greatest performance of the year, submitting former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308. The victory, which even misaligned Whittaker's teeth, cemented Chimaev as the likely next contender for the 185-pound title after Sean Strickland.

In 2022, the Chechen-born made an appearance on The Triple C & Schmo Show. When asked to name his favorite MMA fighter of all time, it came as no surprise that Khamzat Chimaev named Jon Jones.

He praised ‘Bones’ extensively, emphasizing his incredible career. Chimaev said:

"Jon Jones, of course. Nobody is like him. He beats a lot of guys, you know, he beats the monsters. I did work — all my training — and we did with Alex [Gustafsson]. I know how good it is. And if Jon Jones could stop that guy, it's scary. He beat, like, not easy fighters. It was crazy. Good fighters, knockout power, and on the ground, it was good.

“Everything was, like, perfect. The guys and 'DC' — you know how impressive his good wrestling is. And he has good boxing, and he has the mentality to just pressure the fighters and kill them, you know. And he stopped that guy as well."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev’s comments below (15:44):

‘Bones’ became the youngest champion in UFC history at just 23 years old when he clinched the light heavyweight belt by defeating Mauricio Rua at UFC 128. He later secured his second belt, the heavyweight title, by defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

Meanwhile, ‘Borz’ aims to claim the middleweight belt in 2025.

---

Michael Bisping claims Khamzat Chimaev will become the UFC middleweight champion in 2025

Khamzat Chimaev is likely to face the winner of the Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland rematch at UFC 312. This will mark Du Plessis' second title defense.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Michael Bisping lauded Khamzat Chimaev’s last performance and claimed that he will become UFC champion in 2025:

"Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his [Whittaker's] teeth out last time, and yeah, I'm gonna have to say Khamzat [will become a UFC champion in 2025]. Dricus [du Plessis] is a tremendous champion. I think him and Sean are going to have another close fight [at UFC 312]. But regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he'll be victorious."

Check out Michael Bisping’s comments below (20:46):