Daniel Cormier's Coach Sparks Controversy and Excludes Jon Jones from 'GOATS' List: 'Real Sport'

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Jon Jones in a photoshoot. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/jonnybones

One of the most respected coaches in the entire MMA world for over a decade, Javier Mendez is arguably not exactly a Jon Jones fan . Responsible for Daniel Cormier 's training at AKA during his two fights with "Bones," the coach disagrees with those who choose the former light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) and heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg) champion as the best fighter in MMA history.

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Mendez followed a narrative already used by other names linked to the sport to exclude Bones from the discussion. According to the coach, electing an athlete with a history of positive doping tests as the best of all time would attack the legitimacy of MMA.

“For me, the greatest of all time is Khabib, and I would put Jon Jones in that category, but I can’t. If you’re caught doing something you shouldn’t, how can you be considered the best in the league? This is a real sport, and in a real sport you can’t put that person ahead. How many people have won Olympic gold medals and then found out they cheated and had their medals taken away from them?” Mendez stated during an appearance on the podcast 'The Ahmad Mahmood Show'.

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Javier Mendez says Jon Jones can't be the GOAT because of PED violations

"The GOAT for me is Khabib, and I would put Jon Jones in that category, but I can't. If you're caught doing something you shouldn't have been doing, how can you be considered at the top of the league? This… pic.twitter.com/dymsQfWABX

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 8, 2026

In addition to being Cormier's technical leader, Javier has also been in the corner for names like Cain Velasquez , Luke Rockhold , and Khabib Nurmagomedov . Currently, he is the head coach of Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov.

Jon Jones has had numerous doping issues throughout his career.

Jones was one of those caught by USADA before UFC 200. Photo: Disclosure/UFC

Despite being one of the greatest talents to compete in the octagon, Jones' career is also full of controversies. In addition to a series of legal problems, the former champion has experienced complicated episodes due to the use of performance-enhancing substances. In 2016, he lost the interim title he won against Ovince St-Preux after his post-fight test detected the presence of clomiphene.

The following year, the knockout victory in the rematch with Daniel Cormier was changed to a No Contest due to the use of Turinabol. Subsequently, the second fight with Alexander Gustafsson had to be moved from Las Vegas to California because the Nevada Athletic Commission refused to accept the fight, as Jones still had traces of the substance in his system.