Jon Jones saw Topuria as first real GOAT threat before Gaethje stopped him

Jon Jones had privately earmarked Ilia Topuria as the fighter most likely to one day surpass his legacy as the greatest of all time in MMA — a belief that was tested when Justin Gaethje stopped Topuria in the fourth round at the UFC White House card to claim the lightweight title and end his unbeaten run.

“Before that White House card, I looked at him as invincible,” Jones told Prince Sreet Pizza. “As bad as I want other fighters to come and beat my records and become the next greatest, there’s another side of me that wants to hold onto that for my kid’s sake and my family’s honor. Honestly, I thought Ilia would be the first threat to be considered the greatest of all time — and then we saw what happened to him.”

Topuria had arrived at the event as a two-division champion with an unblemished record and victories over several future UFC Hall of Famers, making him one of the most compelling figures in the sport. Gaethje’s performance dismantled that narrative in emphatic fashion.

Despite the defeat, Jones made clear his admiration for Topuria has not wavered. “When it comes to entertainment, his boxing and his power and his confidence and everything about him — I like the way he carries himself outside the ring,” Jones said. “He comes from a successful family and he’s a guy who doesn’t have to fight, he doesn’t need the money but he does it out of love. Those are the reasons that made me a big Ilia fan.”

Jones also offered a measured assessment of Topuria’s prospects going forward. The two share the same manager, and Jones said he has heard directly that the now-former champion is approaching his recovery with the same dedication that defined his rise. “He’s doing all the right things — his recovery, all of it,” Jones said. “He’s a guy who deserves to win.”

The comments underline both the scale of Gaethje’s upset victory and the broader conversation around MMA’s all-time rankings — a debate Jones has long sat at the centre of, and one he admits he is not entirely ready to cede.