Jon Jones will not be moving up in weight to challenge Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title.
Jon Jones returned to top form at UFC 232, finishing Alexander Gustafsson in the third round to capture the vacant light heavyweight championship at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Jones is now a three-time UFC light heavyweight champion, but the Jackson-Wink product has no intention of moving up to heavyweight to become the next ‘champ champ.’
Daniel Cormier, who voluntarily relinquished his light heavyweight title on the eve of UFC 232, is the current heavyweight champion, but that isn’t enough to tempt ‘Bones’ to move up a weight class.
Speaking to the media at the UFC 232 post-fight conference, Jones, who beat ‘DC’ at UFC 182 and UFC 214 (UFC 214 win overturned to a No Contest after Jones tested positive for steroids), said he wouldn’t want to ‘destroy’ Cormier’s entire legacy by beating the former Olympian in two separate weight classes.
“Me going to heavyweight would be making it extremely personal,” Jones said, per MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi. “For me, I have no problem with DC. I have a problem when he comes out, ‘See, I told you guys he’s a cheater. I told you he’s a cheater.’ I have no real problem DC. I’m not gonna go to heavyweight and try to take everything from him and destroy his legacy and all that stuff. Is it possible I could do that? It is possible. But I’m fine having mine and he can have his. DC needs to admit to the people that he was never the light heavyweight champion. Or face me at light heavyweight and shut me up.”
Despite Jones being adamant about facing Cormier at light heavyweight, DC isn’t willing to play ball. Shortly after UFC 232, Cormier took aim at Jones on social media, dismissing his win over Gustafsson due to the most recent failed drug test.
I mean shit , he should win! Dude starts with a head start everytime #usadafake #jonnybrasco
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) December 30, 2018
From a business and fan perspective, Jones moving up in weight to challenge Cormier for the heavyweight title is the fight to make. Perhaps both fighters will meet on common ground and agree to the matchup, although Cormier is currently interested in defending his heavyweight strap against WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.