![UFC legend praises Khabib Nurmagomedov when discussing Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall [Image courtesy: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/fdad1-17477627254296-1920.jpg)
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A UFC legend recently lavished praise on Khabib Nurmagomedov while weighing in on the ongoing negotiations for Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. He noted that Nurmagomedov was an exception to a famous saying with his stellar career.
Nurmagomedov retired from MMA following his submission win over Justin Gaethje, which saw him successfully retain his UFC lightweight championship for the third time. 'The Eagle' disclosed that he had promised his mother that he would only compete one final time against Gaethje and then retire because he didn't have the desire to compete anymore after his father's passing.
In his latest appearance on Submission Radio, UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten shared his thoughts on Jones' willingness to fight Aspinall at this stage of his career. Rutten then mentioned that 'Bones' shouldn't dwell on a potential defeat because it happens to everybody except for Nurmagomedov. He said:
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"Now [Jones] really wants that fight [with Aspinall], so it could be a negotiating technique as well to hold off, to hold off and see if there's more money out there... I don't think that he's afraid. I think guys at that level, tehy're not afraid anymore. And they also know that eventually they're gonna have to do it whether it's winning or losing. Everybody wins, everybody loses or you're Khabib, you don't lose. That's about it."
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Check out Bas Rutten's comments below (28:39):
UFC legend Daniel Cormier lavishes praise for Khabib Nurmagomedov
Bas Rutten wasn't the only UFC legend who lavished praise on Khabib Nurmagomedov as the Dagestani's longtime friend and teammate Daniel Cormier also heaped praise.
In a latest episode of ESPN's Good Guy / Bad Guy, Cormier responded when Chael Sonnen asked who he would consider the Michael Jordan of MMA. 'DC' named Nurmagomedov and mentioned that he never lost in his career, which is similar to Jordan's success in the NBA Finals. He said:
"If Jon Jones is not the Michael Jordan of MMA then who is? It's gotta be Khabib, he never lost. Think about this, Jordan made the finals, Jordan never lost in the finals. So if we're talking about that, then yes. If you take everything Jones ever did, obviously, he's in that conversation, but it's Khabib for me."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (2:01):
