Jon Jones opens up about Muhammad Ali after the boxer's unprecedented death

When news broke last night (Fri., June 3, 2016) that the legendary Muhammad Ali had passed away at the age of 74 due to respiratory complications and a long battle with Parkinson's disease, the sports world was turned upside down.

As one of the greatest combat athletes in the history of the world, Ali touched lives not only as a boxer, but as a civil rights activist and transcendent soul. He paved the way for countless fighters throughout his career and set the precedence for showmanship and individual performance. And even though Ali was a boxer who was well beyond his fighting days, some of best fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) still look to "The Greatest of All time" for inspiration.

Check out what former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones had to say via Instagram following Ali's recent death:

To the greatest #RIPAli

A video posted by Jon Bones Jones (@jonnybones) on Jun 3, 2016 at 10:04pm PDT

Jones has most notably been compared to Ali on a MMA level. His excellence inside of the cage and seemingly perfected craft resembles the same sort of legendary effort that Ali put forth from 1964-1975.

The man they call "Bones" also took to Twitter to showcase his collection of Ali memorabilia:

A few things I'll cherish forever https://t.co/DVkb2nOdGh pic.twitter.com/hlIMHQEHYG

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 4, 2016

Needless to say, Jones is not the only one feeling the loss of the champ. Ali was beloved by many across a variety of sports, and will continue to be the gold standard when it comes to heavyweight boxers.