There have been constant conversations about light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones someday moving up to heavyweight. Jones himself has teased fans with the idea here and there over the years, but never really took it too seriously. So, neither did I.
Yet, as we build toward his title defense against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jones said recently in an interview he wants to face current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic next. Of course, he’s presupposing it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll win on Saturday –which most people, myself included, actually agree with.
Now the issue is does he really mean it and why is he saying it?
It seems like every few months Jones makes headlines by stating he will move up, but then nothing ever comes of it. So, unfortunately, as much as I’d like to see Jon face Stipe, it’s probably not going to happen.
One of the things Jon Jones, despite being heralded as an all-time great fighter, has never gotten enough credit for is his trash talk and mind games.
On top of putting it out there, knowing everyone will eat it up, saying he will face Miocic ignores his current opponent, making his challenger seem insignificant.
This is even multi-tiered. Corey Anderson, who has a personal grudge against Jon, is set to face Jan Blachowicz in a title eliminator. It’s well-known who the two possibilities for Jones’ next opponent are (again, assuming he gets past Reyes that is). If Jones retains his belt then faces Miocic, it leaves the light-heavyweight division without a champ or stuck in limbo. In that regard, it’s sort of a backhanded insult to the whole division.
Not to mention the man vying for a chance to challenge Stipe for a third time, someone who is close to retirement, Daniel Cormier. A man who also had a heated rivalry with Jones a couple of years back at light-heavyweight. Getting the opportunity to screw over his old foe by jumping ahead of him is the kind of thing Jon would relish in.
So literally in one sentence, Jon Jones has manipulated the media, dismissed his challengers, harassed old rivals, and stymied two divisions… without ever even having to actually go up in weight.
Now let’s assume this story has legs and Jon actually wants to move up. The truth is, he is already a heavyweight; he’s six-foot-four, has the longest reach in UFC history, and cuts a lot of weight to make the light-heavyweight 205-pound limit.
Jon has said repeatedly he walks around in between fights at about 235. Thirty pounds to cut is not that unusual. Middleweight Paulo Costa walks around at 215 to make 185. Tyron Woodley has said he walks around at 205 to make the 170-pound welterweight limit.
In the Cormier versus Miocic rematch, at UFC 241, Daniel weighed 237 pounds, while the six-foot-four Stipe was 231. So Jon is already in the same ballpark. Actually, six-four, 230, is literally Jones’ pre-training camp but without having to cut weight.
So this notion that Jon Jones might not be able to compete with the heavyweights as he’s too small is false. Jones has always been a heavyweight choosing to face smaller competition. My guess is, that’s how things will remain, as that’s how Jon prefers it.
Remember, Jones is also supposedly in talks for a future super-fight against current middleweight champ Israel Adesanya at 205 pounds. Now that’s a bout that Jon seems much more likely to agree to.
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