Jon Jones finally explains viral GOAT necklace moment that had UFC fans talking

😅 Jon Jones
reacts to Alex
Pereira loss with a video of himself wearing a goat
necklace.

It took Jones a few minutes to finish Ciryl Gane.
pic.twitter.com/IZBdgLKwOB—
Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
June 15, 2026

Jon
Jones claims he meant no disrespect to Alex
Pereira with his GOAT necklace video.

Pereira (13-4) looked to create history by winning a third
Ultimate Fighting Championship title when he fought Ciryl Gane
for interim heavyweight gold at
UFC Freedom 250 last month. However, Gane stopped Pereira in
the second round.

In the immediate aftermath of Pereira’s loss, Jones (28-1) shared a
video of himself sporting a GOAT necklace, drawing backlash for
kicking Pereira while he was down. Even “Poatan” was surprised by
Jones’ post, considering they have only shared mutual respect in
the past.

Jon
Jones and Alex
Pereira‘s GOAT debate after UFC loss

Jones recently clarified that the video wasn’t aimed at Pereira.
“Bones” recalls the Brazilian paying tribute to his late brother,
Arthur Jones, after his death last October, and claims he has
nothing but respect for Pereira.

He explained that his post was directed at those who claimed
Pereira would be the MMA GOAT if he defeated Gane to win a
championship in a third weight class. Jones, who is widely
considered among the greatest fighters of all time, says that his
video was a message to his haters.

He told Red Corner MMA: “I wish Alex all the best though. After my
brother died, Pereira came out and had a moment of silence for my
brother. And I respect that very, very dearly. And after the fight
I made a video that went viral. It was a video of me with a GOAT
necklace on. It felt like an attack to Alex. And I wanna say it
here that I meant no disrespect to Alex. A lot of people, before
the fight, were saying that if Alex wins he is the greatest of all
time. And my little video after Alex’s loss was a message to all my
haters. It wasn’t directed towards Alex. So I wanna make that very
clear. I have nothing but respect for Alex.”

While he didn’t name names, Dana White had claimed that Pereira
would be considered the GOAT with a victory over Gane. Jones is
amidst a fallout with the UFC after failing to secure a spot on the
White House card.

Jon Jones
explains the real story behind the GOAT necklace video that went
viral after Alex
Pereira‘s defeat.

According to Jones, the post was “a message to all the haters,” not
Pereira himself. He emphasized that he has nothing but respect for
Alex and praised him for paying… pic.twitter.com/G2iJOdM92h— Red
Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
July 1, 2026