Jones: Heavyweight title win would make me MMA GOAT

Jon Jones believes there will be no doubt he's the greatest MMA fighter of all time if he beats Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title on March 4.

"I'm not really thinking about the pressure of being pound-for-pound king," Jones told "Unlocking the Cage with Jimmy Smith" ahead of his return in the UFC 285 main event. "We all have our time looking the absolute best in the world. I'm fighting for something that I believe is bigger, which is the greatest of all time. I do believe a victory over Gane solidifies that."

The former longtime UFC light heavyweight champion was the promotion's No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter before a three-year hiatus that began in 2020. Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski currently holds that distinction, while Jones is ranked No. 10.

Jones, who holds the UFC record for most wins in title fights and is tied with Demetrious Johnson for most title defenses, is already considered one of the best fighters ever, alongside the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and Johnson.

Jones' fight with Gane will also mark his highly anticipated heavyweight debut; the 35-year-old will finally challenge for a second UFC title a decade after promising he would one day do so.

Jones, who relinquished the light heavyweight strap in August 2020 to pursue a move up in weight, has never truly lost in MMA. His lone professional defeat was a controversial disqualification in 2009.