UFC fever is sweeping the globe and its hype is contagious! To an extent that even the GOAT Olympian, Michael Phelps, couldn’t resist jumping into the prediction game for the UFC 309 main event. And guess what? He’s already placed his dibs on a winner— Jon Jones. But there’s a catch. We have reasons to believe that Phelps’ choice may not be based on core fighting skills.

It turns out this pick might be more about heart than head, as Phelps shares a special connection with Jon Jones, who’s gearing up to face Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 battle. But do you know how Phelps and Jones first became friends? It all started when the former challenged the heavyweight champion to a swimming face-off!

Indeed. Back in August this year, Jon Jones uploaded images on Instagram of him enjoying retreat time with his family. Posing with his wife and three daughters, he called it a, “proud dad moment.” But guess who caught onto a swimming pool in the background in one of the pictures? None other than the legendary Michael Phelps.

And well, he couldn’t resist adding a playful comment under Jon Jones’ post as he wrote, “Can we do laps??” Any chance to flex his swimming skills, right? But Jones took the joke in its spirit and reverted saying, “Hell yeah, we can! I’d still love it if you came down, bro. Or like I said, I’ll come to you.” Little did we know this banter would be the start of a new friendship!

Turns out the bond has only grown since then. So, in one of his talks with TNT Sports, Jon Jones got asked, that there are many who call him the GOAT. But is there any athlete whom the UFC star feels is an all-time great? Well, when it came to naming his pick, Jones didn’t beat around the bush. He named his admitted ‘favorites’- Tom Brady, Ray Lewis, and Michael Phelps while calling Phelps an “American great” who dominated his sport.

Friendship and respect are both two-way streets. So, when it came to predicting a winner for UFC 309, Phelps gladly threw his support behind his friend. Here’s what he had to say.

Michael Phelps is all cheers for his buddy Jon Jones

Michael Phelps may have retired from sports, but that craze for the games never really fades, does it? Well, turns out he’s an ardent follower of MMA and is spotted in the audience during fights. But recently, he publicized his love for the sport and his trust in Jon Jones when the UFC social media admin reached out for a game prediction.

Between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, needless to say, Phelps picked his friend. In fact, he said, “My guy, Jon Bones Jones!!! LFG!!” This was shared by UFC as an Instagram post and both Michael Phelps and Jon Jones re-shared the same on their stories. Clearly, the two have great mutual respect and adoration for each other and their sporting abilities. What do you think of the same? Let us know below!