UFC 247 is less than a week away, and during Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, a sit-down interview was featured with the light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones, who is taking on Dominick “The Devastator” Reyes in the main event.
During the interview, Helwani asks Jones for his thoughts on moving up to heavyweight if he gets past Reyes at UFC 247. Specifically, Helwani asks, “What are the chances, if all goes well on February 8, that your next fight is at heavyweight?”
Jones answers, “[There’s] a really good chance. He continues, “I feel like I really want to fight Stipe Miocic. I feel like I can beat him.”
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Jones Doesn’t Believe He Needs a ‘Tune-Up’ Fight at Heavyweight
Helwani asks if Jones would want a tune-up fight in the new weight class before he takes on the Miocic, who is the UFC heavyweight champion.
Bones says, “I don’t think I would need a tune-up. I’m pretty tuned up. I’m pretty in tune. I feel great; I feel strong already.”
The UFC light heavyweight champion then verifies Miocic’s weight with Helwani; the journalist confirms that Miocic is in the 230 to 240-pound range. Jones says, “I feel like me at a lean 230 is plenty. I feel like I can totally beat him just based on his performances with [Daniel Cormier]. 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 feeling hot.”
Helwani then asks Bones if he wants the trip up to heavyweight to be next. Jones responds, “Right now, it’s Dominick Reyes. And yeah, I’d like to fight him but at the end of the day I’m happy. I’m happy doing what I’m doing, man. I’ve been cruising through some victories, man, you know? And they say if it’s not broke don’t fix it, so whether I get the heavyweight title, whether it comes against [Miocic], whether it comes a few years from now, I just learned to be in the moment, be grateful for just where you are now and the future will take care of itself.”
Jones Would Come Back Down to Light Heavyweight Since Making 205 Pounds Makes Him “Feel Good”
The journalist asks Bones if he would stay at heavyweight or if he would drop back down to light heavyweight. Jones answers, “I’ll go up, go straight for the king.” He continues, “I think I would probably go back to 205. Getting down to 205 just makes me feel good about myself. It just makes me feel good to just earn that victory and to detox myself and then lose that weight again.”
The champion tells Helwani that he is at his best mentally, spiritually and physically when he gets down to the light heavyweight weight limit. He feels “supercharged.”
There have been talks about Jones moving up to heavyweight for years, and if he does, there are numerous super fights he can take part in, including Miocic. But before his move to heavyweight becomes more of a reality, he needs to take on the surging Reyes at UFC 247 on February 8.
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UFC 247’s Jon Jones Eyes New Weight Class and Super Fight