Jon Jones is a very big fan of reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
‘Bones’ is mere hours away from making his first walk to the Octagon in over three years. On Saturday night, Jones will make his long-awaited heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 285. Ahead of the highly anticipated headliner, Jones spoke with two of Australia’s greatest athletes, Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker on Fox Sports Australia.
Before they could get to the questions, Jon Jones revealed that he is a massive fan of Alexander Volkanovski and praised ‘The Great’ for his incredible performance against Islam Makhachev last month.
“Alex, you’re a freakin’ bada** dude,” Jones said. “Islam being on your back, you’re talking sh*t the whole time. You’re punching behind yourself. You kept your composure, you didn’t panic. Most people would have panicked. You’re in some serious shape dude. Very impressive.”
Jon Jones is a Volkanovski fan🔥
— 🌴ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ🌴 (@TheArtOfWar6) March 2, 2023
Jon Jones Believes Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev Deserve The Rankings They Hold
Once Jon Jones was done gushing over the reigning 145-pound king, he was asked about the current status of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings and if he expects to take over the No. 1 spot should he capture the UFC heavyweight championship this weekend against Ciryl Gane.
“You know, I think it’s the guys who been fighting,” Jones said. “I think Alex, Islam, these are the guys who been fighting. I haven’t been competing and they deserve to be the top fighters on the planet. I admit that. These guys look great. Alex I believe is one of the most complete athletes in the game right now. His striking, his endurance, his fitness. His love for his country. The way his country receives him. Everything about him, I’m a huge fan. I’m an absolute huge fan. He deserves to be one of the top fighters on the planet right now.’
“I’m trying to fight to be the best fighter ever. It’s two different things, but when it comes to right now, who looks the best, I haven’t even competed yet so how could I have a problem with these guys being the top fighters on the planet? I don’t. I think they deserve to be exactly where they are.”
Due to his inactivity in recent years, Jon Jones has dropped to the No. 10 spot in the promotion’s pound-for-pound rankings while Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev occupy the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively. A decisive win over Gane on Saturday night would likely catapult him into the top five of the rankings, but a win over the general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic will likely be the ticket ‘Bones’ needs to punch in order to arrive at the No. 1 spot.
