UFC 285: Jon Jones 'greatest MMA fighter of all time' after heavyweight win - Dana White
- Published
Jon Jones joins an elite class of fighters who have won UFC titles at two weight divisions, including Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier
Jon Jones has been called "the greatest of all time" by UFC president Dana White after he defeated Ciryl Gane to become a two-weight world champion.
White described 35-year-old Jones as a "unique individual" after he won the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.
"To even compare Francis Ngannou or Gane to Jones, you can't," said White.
"He went in there and finished [Gane]. I still can't believe what I saw. How easy, fast and simple he made that look. It's still blowing my mind."
Jones, who was making his debut in the heavyweight division after three years out of the octagon, forced Gane to tap out with a guillotine choke inside the first two minutes of Saturday's fight in Las Vegas.
"He's the greatest of all time. There's no denying it now," White said after the contest.
"It's hard to even talk about him and any other heavyweights."
Jones and Gane were fighting for the belt because Ngannou, who had been heavyweight champion for almost two years, left the UFC in January, ending hopes of an ultimate showdown between Jones and the Cameroon-born Frenchman.
Ngannou sent a message to Jones on Twitter, saying: "Good job, Jonny Boy. Sincerely, the heavyweight king."
White insisted he had tried to agree a fight between Ngannou and Jones for "years" but he believes that fight is "never going to happen" in the UFC.
Jones, whose previous appearance in the octagon was in February 2020 when he successfully defend his light-heavyweight title, immediately called out former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and White confirmed he would aim to make a fight between the pair.
"Jon Jones is one of those guys, so good, so talented, but it's like dealing with an artist," White said.
"Not many people can take three years off and don't work.
"He wants to fight Stipe, so we'll make the Stipe fight. Whatever happens after that, maybe he retires. I don't know."