Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is interested in fighting another heavyweight besides champion Francis Ngannou.
“Bones” is preparing to make his debut north of 205 pounds, and he’s said on multiple occasions that he plans on fighting in 2022. Jones is eyeing a title shot, however with “The Predator” out with a knee injury and undergoing a contract battle with the UFC, Jones is apparently ready to pivot to Stipe Miocic.
Miocic is viewed by many as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time, and a match-up with Jones has been a fan’s dream for a while.
Taking to Twitter on February 4, 2022, Bones tweeted: “The greatest heavyweight of all time versus the greatest light heavyweight, who wants to see it? I’m game.”
There has been discussion in the MMA community about a potential clash between Jones and Miocic. And considering Ngannou won’t be fighting any time soon, there have been calls for another interim title to be introduced, and for Jones and Miocic to fight for it.
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Daniel Cormier Is Interested in Seeing Jones vs. Miocic for the Interim Heavyweight Strap
Jones and Miocic’s former opponent Daniel Cormier recently shipped the idea of the battle of the greats. During a recent episode of his “DC & RC” podcast, Cormier said: “I think we’ll see another interim title. For me, what makes sense for that interim title is Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones,” Cormier said via BJPenn.com. “I think you put those two together and then no matter who wins, when Francis comes back, you have a massive fight waiting for you.”
“If Jon Jones fights at heavyweight, you want a belt on the line,” DC continued. “You don’t want him just fighting. I used to think that, oh, put him against Curtis Blaydes or somebody else. No, you put him in a fight where if he wins, the end visual is the belt getting strapped on him, even if it’s an interim title because then it just elevates the next fight. So I think Stipe-Jones is the fight to make, and I can see a world where Ciryl Gane fights against Curtis Blaydes. The heavyweight division is interesting right now, and the champion being away doesn’t really hurt it all that much.”
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Ngannou Will Be Out for At Least 9 Months, Will Take the Time to Try & Reach an Agreement with the UFC
In a recent interview with ESPN, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin confirmed that Ngannou will need around nine months to recover from an ACL surgery, which The Predator will undergo when he returns home from a trip to Cameroon.
“I continue to be amazed and inspired by Francis’ heart and resilience,” Martin said via the outlet. “Fighting on one leg to overcome all odds, and remind the world he is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I think we can all agree he deserves some time to go back home and be with his family and countrymen.
“Upon his return, we plan on getting surgery and starting the recovery process so we can get him back to 100 percent as soon as possible. In the meantime, we hope we can find a peaceful resolution in these contract talks. We’d like to thank all the fans for their continued support and belief in Francis.”
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