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

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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

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