Jon Jones continues to cement himself as the greatest light heavyweight in the world. His UFC 182 performance against Daniel Cormier was just the next step in his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.
What is on the horizon? If the UFC ponies up, Jones is open to a superfight with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
This is both a great idea and a terrible idea.
On one hand, this fight will do massive business. Taking two top-tier fighters is always a good thing, but add in their status in this sport, and it creates something special. The potential business this could bring the UFC is likely even greater than what Jones-Cormier did Saturday night.
Jones will still have physical advantages, and that is his greatest asset. He has all the skill to compete with most of the elite at heavyweight. He is just that good.
But why is this a terrible idea?
Velasquez isn’t most of the heavyweight division. He is a different animal.
Ask Brock Lesnar. Ask Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Ask Junior Dos Santos.
Velasquez’s style is a good way for Jones to get mauled in the cage. Jones needs time to acclimate himself to the heavyweight division before taking on the likes of Velasquez. We have seen what the heavyweight champion can do, and it’s violent. Subjecting Jones to that would not be good in the long term.
This isn’t Anderson Silva moving up in weight against middling fighters. This isn’t like a potential fight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. It’s different. It’s heavyweight.
Velasquez is still out with an injury, and when he returns, he will take on Fabricio Werdum. If Velasquez wins, he is without a challenger. If Jones defeats the winner of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson, he will be without a top contender as well. On the timeline of the UFC, this potential fight could line itself up for a year-end fight card.
It would make business sense.
If Jones truly wants to test himself and establish himself as the greatest of all time, this is the man to do it against. It is a phenomenally tall order, but it’s the fight that would put him as the greatest of all time in this young sport. It would also line his pockets with green while the light heavyweight division gets its next contender.
Without credible challengers, the money Jones can make at 205 is minuscule compared to what he could do against Velasquez. It also has the benefit of keeping Cormier in the mix as the captain of AKA and Velasquez’s training partner. The heat only helps. Perhaps that is why Jones has an eye on the possibility.
It makes sense for Jones’ bank account, but for his fighting career, it just should not happen right now. As these two dominant figures in the sport go through 2015, we will all have to keep an ear to the ground for anymore rumblings of this fight.
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