Jon Jones praises McGregor's faith after UFC 329 injury

Jon Jones credited Conor McGregor for leaning on his faith after the Irishman's knee gave out 69 seconds into his UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway.

McGregor's five-year comeback bid ended almost before it started when his left knee buckled in the opening round of last weekend's rematch. The injury capped the highest-grossing gate in UFC history with a finish nobody wanted to see. Jones, who praised McGregor in the lead-up to the card, doubled down on his support in a recent sit-down with Ring Magazine.

Jones sees McGregor's injury as a test of faith

"Conor has been publicly leaning on Christ," Jones said, per MMA Mania. "When you publicly talk about your love for God, and then you turn around and get injured, it'd be really easy to go back to the bar and have this rage and this animosity. So far, what I'm seeing from Conor is he's still praising God. That shows me a lot about his character."

Jones drew parallels to his own career setbacks. He said divine trials strip people down to see if they mean what they say. McGregor has stayed upbeat since the injury and said he plans to complete the final fight on his UFC contract once he heals.

"I think Conor has already won," Jones added. "I just hope he doesn't give up. I hope that he continues to let his light shine and just draws closer to God."

McGregor is awaiting surgery on the knee. No timeline has been announced for a return.

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Jon Jones Praises God-Fearing Conor McGregor Following UFC 329 Injury | MMA Mania