Jon Jones Claps Back at Islam Makhachev to Dispel 'Rumors' Around 2018 USADA Suspension

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Former UFC champion Jon Jones took to social media to fire back at UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev for calling out his GOAT status.

Per ESPN's Brett Okamoto, the hubbub started when Makhachev declared that Jones' 2017 no-contest against Daniel Cormier, due to a failed drug test by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, invalidates his 20-fight win streak. Makhachev earned his 17th straight win last month when he defended his title against Ian Machado Garry, breaking former middleweight champion Anderson Silva's previous record of 16 consecutive victories.

"I'm not denying that Jon Jones is one of the greatest athletes in history, but he was caught doping twice," Makhachev told Russian outlet Ushatayka. "I think that's why his streak isn't considered valid. Because he went into a fight while on PEDs and won, that's where a new count should have started."

Jones, who had defeated Cormier in their 2017 matchup, was fined and suspended for 15 months for testing positive for trace amounts of steroid metabolites. However, an independent arbitrator later stated that he felt Jones unknowingly ingested the substance, and it didn't enhance his performance. Jones brought up the independent finding to dispel the "rumors" about his PED usage:

Makhachev responded to Jones, tweeting that his troubles both in and out of the Octagon created a questionable legacy:

Jones retired from the UFC over a year ago, but he's never been one to let a call-out go unanswered. Still, Makhachev's current run of dominance gives him the chance to eventually take over as the UFC's GOAT.

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