Jon Jones reverses course on criticizing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement after ‘wise’ take

Jon Jones gave Khabib Nurmagomedov supreme credit for past comments about his abrupt retirement.

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov shook up MMA when he announced his retirement from the sport following a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Months removed from the tragic death of his father, Nurmagomedov opted to hang up the gloves, despite being the pound-for-pound best and just scratching the surface of his potential long-term earnings.

Only a handful of fighters, including Jon Jones and Kamaru Usman, have achieved success in their late 30s. Nurmagomedov retired in the prime of his career but has transitioned well to coaching.

Islam Makhachev, Nurmagomedov’s protege, is quickly approaching age 35 as he embarks on his new UFC welterweight title reign. Despite Makhachev’s recent success, that hasn’t stopped Nurmagomedov from staying firm in what he believes.

Jon Jones praises Khabib Nurmagomedov’s stance on fighting past 35

In a video shared by Ushatayka, Nurmagomedov explained why he believes fighters shouldn’t fight past 35 years old.

“When you become 35, you need to stop doing this because [you should] leave this sport for young guys,” Nurmagomedov began.

“When you become 35 and you don’t finish [fighters], somebody is going to finish you. Why? It’s better to finish. After 35, you’re never going to be the same. People can talk whatever they want, when you’re past your prime, you [are] going to fight only for money,”

Nurmagomedov and Jones have traded subtle jabs in recent years, including Jones taking Nurmagomedov out of the UFC GOAT debate due to his premature retirement. Nurmagomedov publicly stated he refuses to be friendly with Jones due to Jones’s hostile past with Daniel Cormier.

But Nurmagomedov’s stance on retirement drew the attention of Jones, as he plots his Octagon return next year. He praised Nurmagomedov’s comments in a recent Instagram story post.

“Wise words from the champ, make your money and don’t be afraid to diversify.”