Does Jon Jones share the same legacy as Georges St-Pierre? You might want to argue, but someone certainly believes it. Jones himself sees his journey as parallel to GSP’s. While GSP conquered both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, earning respect as one of the UFC’s most honorable champions, his story of overcoming childhood bullying to dominate on MMA’s biggest stage is nothing short of inspiring. And now, Jon Jones claims he’s built a legacy just as impactful. Bold? Maybe. But coming from ‘Bones,’ it’s not surprising that there were a few voices of dissent.
While speaking with Kyle Forgeard on the FullSend Podcast, Jon Jones highlighted that his story resonates with that of Georges St-Pierre. How? He believes he has learned a great deal from the welterweight GOAT and has been trying to model his career after him. It seems he may have succeeded in that endeavor.“My first several fights were GSP cards—like, I was an undercard guy—and just being around, man, he inspired me so much,” said Jones.
He further added, “He showed professionalism. I saw the way that he dressed; you know, he was one of the first guys that had suits on. I saw that he had meaningful men around him—not just a big entourage, but, like, everybody on his squad had a big purpose. And I really wanted to model my career after him, and I think I did.”
It is certainly true that, just like GSP, Jon Jones has conquered two divisions as well. But is it fair to say that he has built the same legacy as GSP? Well, certainly not. As one of the most respected individuals in the sport, the former welterweight and middleweight champion has always shown respect toward his opponents and rarely indulged in crass talk.
With a career record of 26 victories and 2 defeats, Georges St-Pierre retired from the sport in 2017 after capturing the middleweight title against Michael Bisping at UFC 217. The Canadian icon knew it was the right time to step away and did so gracefully, never looking back. Interestingly, he retired while riding a 13-fight winning streak, so it’s fair to say that he walked away at the peak of his career. Well, as Jon Jones revealed his thoughts on GSP, the MMA community couldn’t keep calm and took shots at the heavyweight champion.
Jon Jones’ self-comparison to Georges St-Pierre backfires
In his 15 years of service to the sport, Georges St-Pierre has rarely said no to a fight. The Canadian faced every single contender the UFC threw at him, cementing his status as one of the greatest of all time. So, when Jon Jones compared himself to ‘GSP,’ an MMA fan was quick to remind him about his reluctance to face Tom Aspinall, “You definitely didn’t, gsp fought anyone anytime.”
Georges St-Pierre had his fair share of heated rivalries with opponents. His back-and-forth with Nick Diaz and Matt Serra remains one of the most iconic in the sport’s history. Yet, despite all that, you’ll rarely hear anyone speak badly about the Canadian — as one fan pointed out, “I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about GSP.”
Furthermore, a fan showed the reality to the heavyweight champion, “And yet you’re not much alike.” Jones has made the wrong headlines several times. He’s been stripped of the LHW title twice – over positive PED tests and a hit-and-run incident. But for GSP, the record is mostly clean, and he commands respect from his co-stars and most of the fan base.
Georges St-Pierre retired from the sport after defeating every top contender in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Despite not fighting Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, GSP’s legacy remains untarnished. The same cannot be said for Jon Jones, who is currently accused of holding up the heavyweight division. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “Nah, he kept his dignity at the end of his career and retired when he didn’t want to fight anymore.” Last but not least, a fan finally showcased some support to the heavyweight champion as he stated, “Well u didn’t but you still the GOAT.”
With the heavyweight title fight still shrouded in uncertainty and Jon Jones showing no signs of facing Tom Aspinall, the MMA community has begun to discredit him as the GOAT. His refusal to relinquish the title has only added to the criticism, and things are clearly not going in Jones’s favor. With all forces seemingly aligned against him, it will be interesting to see what the future holds.
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