Good Chance Of Jones Moving Up
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has expressed an interest in moving up to heavyweight and facing Stipe Miocic.
Jones is currently set to defend his title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 this weekend. However, he has long teased a move to heavyweight for years and it seems like something he finally plans on doing if he gets past Reyes.
“Bones” doesn’t want a tune up fight either — he would go straight for the current champion in Miocic.
“There’s a really good chance,” Jones told ESPN about his chances of moving up to the heavyweight division. “I feel like I really want to fight Stipe Miocic. I feel like I could beat him.
“I don’t think I would need a tune up. I’m pretty tuned up. I’m pretty in tune. I feel great, feel strong already. Stipe’s like 230 or something? I feel like me at a lean 230 is plenty. I feel like I could totally beat him just based on his performances with DC. Our speed differences, my fight IQ, my versatility, my faith and confidence — I think I’m the guy to beat him for sure and I want to strike while I’m doing hot.”
Of course, Miocic is currently slated to face Daniel Cormier in a trilogy fight sometime this year. But if Jones gets his way, he could end up challenging for the title to earn his shot at becoming a two-division champion.
But don’t expect him to remain at heavyweight if that is the case.
“I think I would go up and go straight for the king. I think I would probably go back down to 205 [afterwards],” Jones added. “Getting down to 205 just makes me feel good about myself, just makes me feel good just to earn that victory and to detox myself, lose the weight again.
“The journey to get down to the weight class and just to feel ultimately prepared — I just love it. I feel like my highest just mentally, spiritually, physically, something about getting down to my weight class that makes me feel super charged.”
“I really want to fight Stipe Miocic. I feel like I could beat him… I don’t think I would need a tune up.”@JonnyBones on the "really good chance” his next fight could be at heavyweight and going "straight for the king” (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/ZGKWIELse4
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 3, 2020
This all hinges on whether Jones defeats Reyes, however.
