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Apart from being one of the top contenders for GOAT status, Jon Jones is also one of the most controversial personalities in the UFC. The former light heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound king is not exactly a friendly character after all. At least that's what his co-fighters would have us believe.
A number of UFC fighters have never warmed up to Jon Jones. 'Bones' has come around to being one of the guys with the least amount of friends inside the organization. This is for a variety of reasons, including the insults he directs at his fellow MMA athletes and the numerous controversies he's been embroiled in.
The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier is one that UFC fans don't need to be reminded of. It was ugly, full of bad blood, and got every MMA fan's undivided attention. However, 'Bones' now has an even longer list of enemies to look at.
Here is a list of five active UFC fighters who are at loggerheads with Jon Jones.
#5. Jan Blachowicz vs. Jon Jones
The rivalry between Jon Jones and Jan Blachowicz started when the Polish fighter challenged 'Bones' to a fight after defeating Corey Anderson at UFC 167. Tension immediately built up between the two. The bad blood was made worse when Blachowicz stated in an interview that 'Bones' was afraid of fighting him.
According to Jan Blachowicz, it was due to the fear of losing to him that Jon Jones decided to move to the heavyweight division. The Pole said:
"You know, now I understand him... He [has] do[ne] almost everything at 205. Almost. Because he didn’t fight against me. That’s why he [has] do[ne] almost everything. I understand his decision because I think he knew that when he gonna fight against me he's gonna lose this fight... So he [made] this decision, ‘okay now I go to heavyweight."
Watch Jan Blachowicz's interview with RT Sport discussing Jon Jones:
In retaliation, Jon Jones mocked Jan Blachowicz and labeled the latter's claim nothing more than a tale.
Jones also compared his accolades to Jan Blachowicz's and told the former UFC light heavyweight champion to win 10 world titles before claiming to be a legend.
Jan Blachowicz lost his title a little more than a year after winning it. He successfully defended it against Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 before being bested by light heavyweight veteran Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. Minutes after his title was snatched by Teixeira, Jon Jones made sure he was there to rub the loss in the Polish fighter's face.
#4. Colby Covington vs. Jon Jones
Colby Covington and Jon Jones were roommates at one point at Iowa Central Community College. The two future UFC Hall of Famers were up-and-coming amateur wrestlers back then.
Covington has suggested that the two fighters were initially friends, who later grew to hate each other. However, Jones has denied all such claims and has gone on record to say that Covington has always been a "rotten person."
With both fighters often rubbing each other the wrong way, especially in the UFC, their rivalry has turned really sour. Neither man has missed a chance to punch down on each other in recent years. Explaining how the cordiality between the two eroded back in college, Colby Covington said:
"He [Jon Jones] just started doing steroids and he just freaking always had roid rage. He'd come home and yell at me, 'What the f**k are you doing, Colby? Do the dishes.' He would just literally freak out and I would see this roid rage in his eyes and I'd be like, 'Dude, what's your deal, man?' I just lost a lot of respect for him. He started partying a lot, doing ecstacy, doing all these drugs and you know the rest is history."
Watch Colby Covington talk about his relationship with Jon Jones, right here:
Covington has also called Jon Jones a "cheating, lying, piece of sh*t person". Following Jones' recent arrest, 'Chaos' didn't miss a chance to take to social media to fire shots at his 'frenemy'.
Jon Jones was asked about his time together with Colby Covington ahead of UFC 247. The former light heavyweight champion shot his former roommate down and said:
"Colby is a habitual liar at the end of the day. He really is. I mean, he told the fans that we lived together for two years. We lived together for one semester.. Colby is a really bad person. He really, really is. There's no coincidence that Tyron Woodley got to know him [Colby Covington] and hates him. [Jorge] Masvidal got to know him and hates him. I got to live with him and really don't like him. If any of you guys get to know him, man, he really is a rotten person."
Watch Jon Jones talk about Colby Covington right here:
After Colby Covington was removed from the American Top Team, Jon Jones really rubbed it in his face, displaying the animosity between the two.
#3. Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones
With Jon Jones having transitioned to heavyweight and Francis Ngannou emerging as the baddest man in the division, UFC fans began yearning for a clash between the two.
Unfortunately, a number of reasons, including the hotly debated topic of fighter pay and Jon Jones' antics outside the octagon, made it impossible for the UFC to book this mega fight.
In an interview with TMZ, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou talked about the possibility of defending his title against Jon Jones. Predicting a KO win, 'The Predator' said:
“I want Jon Jones...definitely. . . I don’t care about what the talk says. I love that fight. I have some size, too. I’m strong, too. I’m impressed [with his move to heavyweight]. I know he’s very skilled, very talented. I respect that. But we are both men, and we’re going to find out."
Watch Francis Ngannou talk about a possible fight with Jon Jones:
Jones was quick to call out Ngannou on Twitter. The former UFC light heavyweight champion reminded the newly-crowned UFC heavyweight champ that he needed to defend his belt in order to cement his position at the top.
'The Predator' not only responded to Jon Jones' ominous callout, but also went a step further and mocked him for being 'scared'. Ngannou wrote on Twitter:
"Rumor says you don't want to fight until next year. Don't be scared Jonny boy, it's just a fight."
Jon Jones has a new enemy and he's big and scary.
#2. Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jon Jones
Alexander Gustafsson is one of the very few fighters who has been able to bring out the best in Jon Jones. 'Bones' has lauded Gustafsson for being his toughest challenger in numerous interviews. However, the two can hardly see eye-to-eye.
Ahead of their rematch at UFC 232, 'The Mauler' came to the ceremonial weigh-ins wearing a t-shirt targeting Jon Jones' infamous history with banned substances. This came in addition to him calling Jones a "cheater" at the pre-fight press conference.
Watch Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson at the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 232
A few months earlier, the two fighters had gotten into a Twitter feud following Daniel Cormier's clap back at Gustafsson. Enjoying the way 'DC' insulted Gustafsson, Jon Jones challenged the Swedish fighter to bring the "tough guy sh*t" to the championship rounds. What ensued was a verbal back and forth that ensured that the two wouldn't warm up to each other ever again.
Here's a peek at the Twitter spat between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson:
With Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones both in the UFC heavyweight division now, it seems their rivalry is here to stay.
#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Jon Jones
Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones' rivalry is one of the most popular ones on this list. 'Izzy' and 'Bones' are two of the best fighters in the UFC, and are often compared for their craftiness and dominance.
The feud between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones took shape in the lead-up to UFC 236. Speaking to TMZ, 'The Last Stylebender' said he would go hunting for another GOAT candidate after defeating Anderson Silva, referring to the then UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
This naturally irked Jones, who promised to make Adesanya call him “daddy” by the third round of their potential fight. Jones said:
"If you think you killed 44 yr old Anderson, you didn’t. I’m not really sure what fight you’ve been watching. You got past the legendary GOAT, now come fuck with the King of the jungle. I’ll make you call me daddy by the third."
Adesanya had been on the lookout ever since for a reason to get back at 'Bones'. Following Jon Jones' arrest in 2020, 'The Last Stylebender' fired shots at his nemesis on Twitter, calling him a "useless example of a human being."
Considering the fact that Jones is moving up to heavyweight, it seems unlikely the two will ever face each other inside the ring. However, it's safe to assume the bad blood between the two is here to stay for good.
