As far as Daniel Cormier is concerned, Jon Jones is not allowed to be in the discussion for greatest of all time.
Cormier, a former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, excludes Jones for the fact that he failed several drug tests.
“One of the most talented guys you’ll ever meet but again for me bad (drug) tests eliminate you from the conversation,” Cormier said while speaking with MMA Fighting. “I just cannot understand how that is so hard to comprehend in a sport where we’re fighting each other.
“In baseball, bad tests eliminate you from being considered and being in the Hall of Fame and you’re hitting a ball. You’re hitting an object that has no feeling. In fighting, you’re punching people, human beings, and you have bad tests that eliminates you. It’s just too dangerous.
“So I think when you start to think about the greatest of all time for all the things and all the great victories, you can’t look at those, me personally being a guy that those fights did really long term damage to my career, it’s hard for me to say [Jon Jones] is the greatest of all time when every time we fought, there was some sort of issue. That for me, it just kind of changes the conversation.”
Jones has been dominant inside of the Octagon, including in wins over Cormier. However, he has also missed plenty of time due to his failed drug tests and other issues outside of the cage.
Cormier gives credit to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the unbeaten UFC lightweight champion, for staying clean. Nurmagomedov recently announced his retirement following a win over Justin Gaethje.
Like Khabib’s clean. Nobody has heard or suggested or thought that he’s done anything negatively outside of missing weight when he was on his way up,” Cormier said. “Those are the things that he is going to have to deal with in terms of negatively. Demetrious Johnson is actually completely clean. No missed weights, no failed tests, he’s just clean.
“Those are the types of guys you look at and say ‘that guy’s the greatest fighter of all-time.’”