Losing to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, doesn’t mean you’ll never get another 205-pound title shot somewhere down the line. Just look at the close decision wins “Bones” has over Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier, two top contenders who managed to climb their way back up the division ladder.
Something Thiago Santos must do in order to secure a “Bones” rematch.
Sure, “Marreta” won the fight in the eyes of some fans — and one judge — but the official result was a split decision in favor of Jones at the UFC 239 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza last Sat. night (July 6, 2019 ) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (highlights here).
“He can climb himself back up the ladder, there’s lots of young men who want to test their skills,” Jones told his Twitter followers about a potential Santos rematch. “I agree, he did great, let’s see what his comeback looks like. Yeah let’s see, I definitely think he’s going to beat most the guys.”
Santos (21-7) is currently ranked No. 3 at 205 pounds, one spot above fellow title contender Anthony Smith. “Marreta” holds a technical knockout win over “Lionheart” from their UFC Belem showdown back in early 2018, so a rematch feels like a matter of “when,” as opposed to “if.”
Jones, meanwhile, has multiple options. He can move up to heavyweight and fight the winner of Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic for the 265-pound strap — or even Francis Ngannou — or he can stay put in his current home and see what other “young men” are willing to test their might.
“Somebody ask [Dominick Cruz] if he wants some smoke,” Jones said.