Getty Dana White and Jon Jones
On February 8, the UFC’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter will return to the Octagon to defend his light heavyweight belt. The champ, Jon “Bones” Jones, will take on the #4 ranked light heavyweight contender Dominick “The Devastator” Reyes in the main event of UFC 247.
UFC president Dana White recently spoke with Jim Rome at the Superbowl “Radio Row” media event. The two spoke on The Jim Rome Show, covering different topics like Jorge Masvidal vs. Kamaru Usman as well as Bones vs. The Devastator.
White is not discounting the ability of Reyes to upset the reigning champion Jones, but the UFC president did hint at Jones’ potential next move if he gets his hand raised at UFC 247.
White tells Rome, “If Jon Jones can get out of this fight with a win, I don’t even know what’s next for him. He’s probably going to have to move to heavyweight.”
White isn’t stating that Bones’ next move is set in stone, but it’s an option that’s on the table. Recently, Jones’ manager told MMA Junkie that the UFC light heavyweight champion is happy staying in his weight class, and “he has no reason to go up to heavyweight, unless it makes financial sense for him.”
If White is mentioning heavyweight for Jones, there is a possibility that the UFC will open the checkbook for the champion. There have been talks about Jones moving up a weight class for years now, and if he can get past Reyes at UFC 247, it may be his next move.
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Dana White Is Not Writing Off Dominick Reyes as a Threat to Bones’ Crown
Before any of this talk can really ramp up, Jones has a sturdy test in from of him in the form of Dominick Reyes.
During Rome’s podcast, White says, “The casual fans, everyone knows Jon Jones. They don’t realize how tough of a fight this is for Jon Jones, and how real of a guy Dominick Reyes is. Young, fast, knockout power in both hands, and hungry; [Reyes] wants this fight, wants to beat Jones.”
White says more about Reyes: “He’s a great stand-up fighter, in your face. Like I said, knockout power in both hands, has great kicks. This is a very interesting fight for Jon Jones.”
Rome then asks White about Reyes dealing with the spotlight of being in a Jones fight. Reyes will compete in the main event of a pay-per-view in what is the biggest fight of his young career, and it is against one of the greatest fighters of all time.
White answers Rome, “We’re going to find out. I wish [Reyes] had a couple more high-profile fights before this one, but this guy has fast-tracked his way to this shot with Jones.”
White continues, “[He’s] undefeated, has all the skills, all the tools, this is a very very tough fight for Jones. [Reyes] has never been under the big lights going against a guy like this, but Jones hasn’t faced an opponent like this in a while, either.”