- Henry Cejudo provides some update on Jon Jones’ return
- Cejudo talks about Jones’ possible opponents
- “Triple C” thinks “Bones” can retire undefeated
Jon Jones hasn’t fought for more than two years now and many have been longing to see him back inside the octagon. Fortunately for the fans, the former UFC light heavyweight king’s occasional training partner and coach, Henry Cejudo recently divulged the latest update.
‘Hungry Monster’
In a recent appearance on “The Schmozone Podcast,” Cejudo confirmed that Jones will be making his long-awaited UFC return this year. However, he also noted that “Bones” just need some extra time to pull himself together.
“You guys will see Jon Jones this year,” Cejudo declared. “He’s anxious to fight. He needed this time to get his mind right, to let his body recover, to enjoy his family. He needed all this. I wouldn’t be mad if he takes another year off, honestly because he’s accomplished so much.”
Cejudo added that he has been urging Jones to get back to his old self, the “hungry monster” that used to savagely finish the top guys.
“[Jones] He got to a point where he was so good that people really started to adapt to him,” he assessed. “And I talked to Jon I said, ‘Jon you have to bring that hungry monster again. You got to be come that technical savage as you once were, you have the ability to adjust. It’s not just kicks and things, we have to invest in things. We start to break down their foundation and we start to take people out again like [in] the beginning of your career [like] what you did to Lyoto Machida, Shogun [Rua], all these fighters’.”
Francis Ngannou is Jones’ toughest test
Jones is heavily-linked to a heavyweight debut in his return. According to “Triple C,” the fight against Stipe Miocic will certainly happen, but the biggest fight for “Bones” at the moment is against the reigning heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou.
“That’s the fight that’s gonna happen,” Cejudo said of the potential Miocic vs. Jones interim heavyweight title bout. “That’s we’re going to really able to see the creativity of Jon because if you think of it, Stipe doesn’t really have like that, yeah he knocked out [Fabricio] Werdum but Werdum walked into that punch.
“I don’t see Stipe with like crazy knockout power, I think Stipe’s greatest gift is endurance, ’cause he’s a heavyweight that keep pushing the pace,” he continued. “A lot like Alexander Volkanovski. But they don’t have that power and the way to beat a guy like Jon Jones is you got to beat him with power. This is why Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones is a dynamite fight.”
10 more fights
Jones has not stopped an opponent since 2018. Atop that, he’s also in his mid-30s. Nevertheless, Cejudo is positive “Bones” could still go for and win 10 more fights before finally calling it a career.
“I think Jones can fight another 10 fights and retire undefeated,” Cejudo predicted. “I really do. I think Jon Jones literally has about 10 fights left, he thinks he probably has less but he’s a competitor. He’s a fighter. Jon’s going to be doing this for a minute.”
UFC president Dana White has previously admitted that Jones could possibly compete for the interim heavyweight title should Ngannou sits out for a long period of time.
