Jon Jones rates UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev very highly.

Former two-division UFC champ Jones and Makhachev have been battling for the No. 1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings in the past couple of years. Makhachev is currently ranked No. 1, with Jones falling off the list entirely after vacating his heavyweight title.

Jones is regarded by many as the greatest fighter of all time, and he puts Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) in that elite company.

“I think Islam is definitely one of the greatest fighters of all time,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. “He’s one of the guys for sure. I’m not surprised that he’s dominating the competition. He’s a special athlete. Some guys are just chosen to do great things, and I think he’s one of those guys. I’m excited to watch the rest of his career. I think he has a lot of work to do, but he is on the right path, and he’s just doing everything right. He’s one of the guys in the sport I respect very much.”

Makhachev defended his UFC lightweight title a division record four times before relinquishing it for a move up to 170 pounds. He dominated Jack Della Maddalena to claim the welterweight title at UFC 322 this past November.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jon Jones: UFC champ Islam Makhachev is ‘a special athlete’