WATCH: Jon Jones claims UFC 196 was really a victory for Conor McGregor

The Notorious earned the admiration of many in defeat.

They might have sparred a little in the run-up to the fight, but Jon Jones remains a big fan of Conor McGregor it seems. The Irishman received plenty of plaudits for his honest reaction to his UFC 196 defeat by Nate Diaz and now the pound-for-pound king has paid tribute to McGregor after his gutsy decision to jump two weight classes to face Diaz. Jones posted a video on Instagram praising McGregor for the way he handled the setback, insisting that even in defeat, the featherweight "took a gamble in fighting anyone, any where, a gamble he lost. But in a way he won, because he really got to show some great character". https://www.instagram.com/p/BCohRbdMDAp/