Jon Jones recalls historic praise from Khabib's father: 'Gift from God'

Jones focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Jon Jones He recalled one of the most memorable compliments of his career. Considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, the American revealed that he has never forgotten the day Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib's father and coach, described him as a "gift from God." According to 'Bones', those words remain vivid in his memory to this day.

In an interview In an interview with the YouTube channel Red Corner MMA, Jones highlighted his admiration for Abdulmanap's legacy, who was responsible for training Khabib and helping to establish Dagestan as one of the world's major MMA powers. The former UFC light heavyweight (up to 93kg) and heavyweight (up to 120,2kg) champion stated that the recognition carried even more weight because it came from someone who professed a different faith than his own.

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“Khabib’s father said, ‘A gift from God.’ I will never forget that, and I feel honored to receive such praise from such a respected man, a man of proven success. I believe what he said means even more because I am a Christian and he is a Muslim. The fact that he feels this way about me says a lot,” he reported. Jon Jones.

The words quoted by Jones refer to a comment made by Abdulmanap before his death in 2020. Known for his demanding evaluation of athletes, the legendary Russian coach rarely made such emphatic compliments to fighters outside his inner circle. Precisely for this reason, his words about Jones resonated widely among fans, experts, and members of the MMA community.

Even in retirement, 'Bones' remains a constant presence in discussions about who is the greatest fighter of all time. For the American, however, few demonstrations of recognition have carried as much weight as that of one of the most influential coaches in the history of mixed martial arts.

Jones emphasizes respect above differences.

Jon Jones Celebrates victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/jonnybones

Recalling the episode, Jones stated that the praise goes far beyond the sporting aspect. For him, the fact that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov views his career so positively, even coming from another culture and following another religion, represents the respect that sport is capable of building between people with completely different backgrounds.

The former champion also made a point of highlighting Abdulmanap's importance to the growth of modern MMA. Besides guiding Khabib to the lightweight title, the coach was largely responsible for the development of names like... Islam makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov e Usman Nurmagomedov, helping to transform Dagestan into one of the greatest talent pools for mixed martial arts.