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Jones irked by Khabib calling for No. 1 pound-for-pound status: 'It's not fair'

Mike Roach / UFC / Getty

After his win over Justin Gaethje and subsequent retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov said he wanted the UFC to give him No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter status.

That request - as well as the numerous fans and pundits declaring Nurmagomedov as the best fighter on the planet - didn't sit well with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who currently holds the No. 1 position in the UFC's rankings.

"I've won 15 world titles, he just won his fourth," Jones tweeted early Sunday morning. "The fact that this is even a conversation is mind-blowing to me."

He added: "People want me to stay quiet and let him have his moment while I just sit back and watch my hard work get moved down the rankings. It's not fair to my family or the team of people who have sacrificed to get me this far."

Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. He held the 205-pound title on and off for nine years before vacating it in August to pursue a run in the heavyweight division.

The 33-year-old said he's "sacrificed too much blood" to "stand by and see someone ask to be considered the best."

Jones added that he respects Nurmagomedov, who left the sport with a 29-0 record and as the reigning lightweight champion, but "being the best is earned, not given."

"Unfortunately, four title fights ain't it, no matter how much we all like them," Jones wrote.

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