Islam Makhachev explains why he views Jon Jones' UFC win streak as invalid

Islam Makhachev rejects the notion that Jon Jones has a superior UFC run to his.

Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC)  defended his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August to set a new bar for most consecutive victories under the UFC banner at 17. He was previously tied with Anderson Silva, who held the mark for more than a decade at 16.

Contrarians would argue that the real record belongs to former heavyweight and light heavyweight Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC), who has gone 20 consecutive bouts without a loss dating back to December 2009. His winning streak was interrupted by a no contest in his July 2017 rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, which he initially won by knockout, but the result was overturned due to a failed drug test.

When comparing their runs, Makhachev notes Jones’ sketchy history with drug testing and, in his mind, that brings his entire resume under question.

“I’m not denying that Jon Jones is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Makhachev told Ushatayka in Russian. “But he was caught doping twice, and I think that’s why his streak isn’t considered valid.

“Because he went into a fight while on PEDs and won. That’s where a new count should have started.”

Islam Makhachev says he does NOT count Jon Jones winstreak because he popped for PEDs:

“I’m not denying that Jon Jones is one of the greatest athletes in history. But he was caught doping twice, and I think that’s why his streak isn’t considered valid.

Because he went into a… pic.twitter.com/D7WqbwmffM

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 13, 2026

Makhachev’s comment will surely spark reaction from those who will point to his own anti-doping test failure in 2016 and call him a hypocrite. UFC senior vice president of anti-doping compliance Jeff Novitzky said in May 2024, when awarding Makhachev his jacket for 50 clean tests in the program, that the result was “one of the greatest, colossal mistakes in anti-doping.”

After defending his 170-pound belt at UFC 330, Makhachev said he is looking to return to the octagon in January or earlier, provided his recent MRI results for potential injuries come back as he hopes.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Islam Makhachev explains why he views Jon Jones’ UFC win streak as invalid