Islam Makhachev rejects the notion that Jon Jones has a superior UFC run to his.
Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) defended his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August to set a new bar for most consecutive victories under the UFC banner at 17. He was previously tied with Anderson Silva, who held the mark for more than a decade at 16.
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Contrarians would argue that the real record belongs to former heavyweight and light heavyweight Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC), who has gone 20 consecutive bouts without a loss dating back to December 2009. His winning streak was interrupted by a no contest in his July 2017 rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, which he initially won by knockout, but the result was overturned due to a failed drug test.
When comparing their runs, Makhachev notes Jones’ sketchy history with drug testing and, in his mind, that brings his entire resume under question.
“I’m not denying that Jon Jones is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Makhachev told Ushatayka in Russian. “But he was caught doping twice, and 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.”
