Jon Jones has a spot of acquisition with moving up to Heavyweight.
“Bones” ruled the 205-pound roost for many, galore years earlier yet making the leap successful 2023. He teased a Heavyweight leap for overmuch of that span, but Jones has ever been a cautious decision-maker successful regards to his MMA vocation and (nearly) undefeated record. As such, Jones took his clip to hole his assemblage and summation value successful the close way, going 3 years without a combat partially arsenic a effect of his alteration successful division.
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The results were spectacular. Say what you volition astir ducking Tom Aspinall, but Jones utterly dominated some Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic successful his brace of Heavyweight bouts. Conversely, Alex Pereira was warring astatine 205-pounds little than a twelvemonth anterior to his UFC White House conflict versus “Bon Gamin.” Though helium was capable to battalion connected size (ask O’Malley), Jones questions if “Poatan” enactment connected excessively overmuch value portion analyzing the “perfect storm” that was the Ciryl Gane knockout loss.
“I felt similar Pereira, helium came successful excessively big,“ Jones told Red Corner MMA. ”I deliberation helium would person been amended disconnected warring astir 230-235, keeping that speed. I consciousness similar his powerfulness would person perchance translated over. In the combat you conscionable saw him, helium was waiting. He was second-guessing things, questioning things, and that’s 1 of the worst things you tin bash successful a fight. It feels similar a nightmare erstwhile you’re retired determination successful beforehand of your opponent, and you cognize the moves, cognize you should propulsion the punch oregon footwear oregon spell for that takedown — past you conscionable don’t. You find yourself retired determination watching alternatively of doing.
“I’ve had it hap to maine galore times successful practice, and I felt similar that’s what happened with Alex. He ne'er truly got his shot rolling. Ciryl Gane came astatine him successful a Southpaw stance, which besides challenges Pereira. He was fast, powerful, unorthodox. It was the cleanable tempest for Pereira, and helium didn’t past it.“
Having fought Gane himself and considered warring Pereira, Jones has a beardown knowing of the matchup. Though it doesn’t look apt close now, there’s inactive a just changeable Jones vs. Pereira happens determination down the line. If that marquee matchup ends up booked, expect a batch of leftie warring from “Bones” … and possibly a somewhat slimmer “Poatan?”
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