Jon Jones recently stirred controversy with a comment about Islam Makhachev while filming a reality TV show in Russia.
The UFC heavyweight champion called Makhachev “new to the sport still,” a remark that sparked outrage. Jones has since clarified his intent, saying the statement aimed to address a topic during the show.
While filming, Nate Diaz and Jones discussed the UFC’s pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. Diaz began to downplay the Dagestani’s accomplishments in the Octagon. In response, Jones labeled Makhachev as an “up-and-coming fighter” a head-scratching comment about one of the UFC’s top stars.
Although Jones insisted he meant no disrespect, he stood by his statement, claiming he had the right to say it.
“I feel like the comment I made upset a lot of people, a lot of Islam’s fans,” Jones said. “But really, what I was trying to do was translate for Nate to the Russians. Nate speaks in a very laid-back way; he uses a lot of slang. If you’re not American, it may be hard to understand him.
“So I was just trying to translate for Diaz. But at the same time, me saying that Islam is an up-and-coming fighter, when it’s coming from me, I can say that. Not many people can say that, but I can.”
Jones is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. He remains the most dominant light heavyweight the sport has seen and currently reigns as the UFC heavyweight champion. However, critics continue to question him, especially since he has yet to defend his belt against interim champ Tom Aspinall.
