Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Jones claims he’s “ready for the weight” … but is he ready for the wait?
Jon Jones talks about moving to heavyweight the same way the Hollywood “bad guy” talks about his super evil master plan in the middle of every movie.
Tuco said it best in The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: “When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”
Jones likes to talk. In fact, the greatest light heavyweight of all time has been teasing a run at the 265-pound title for nearly 10 years, and yet there’s always been some reason that “Bones” has been unable to fulfill that pre-determined destiny.
We can blame Dana White, those pesky picograms, unfinished business at 205 pounds … whatever.
Last year it was a super-sized showdown against Brock Lesnar. Before that was talk of a potential clash with then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. The latest and greatest scheme involves Stipe Miococ, since his Daniel Cormier beef is officially over.
Before we even talk about the state of the heavyweight division, we must first wait and see if Jones is able to retain his light heavyweight title in a very dangerous fight against undefeated division contender, Dominick Reyes, when they collide in the UFC 247 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Sat. night (Feb. 8, 2020) inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Let’s assume the bookies are correct and Jones prevails. He’ll only have to wait a week to find out who the next title contender will be as Jan Blachowicz and Corey Anderson hook ‘em up in the UFC Fight Night 167 main event on Feb. 15 from inside Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico (more on that fight card here).
Even if that showdown ends in a boring decision (quite possible) and fans are screaming for a victorious Jones to jump to heavyweight, we still have no timetable on the return of current 265-pound champion, Stipe Miocic, and I don’t think “Bones” — or the promotion — is willing to risk a trip north unless it’s for the division title.
A decapitation by the winner of this titanic tilt serves no one.
Miocic remains out of action after suffering a debilitating eye injury in his UFC 241 victory over Cormier, who is expected to earn a rubber match once the champion finds his way back to the cage. And Dana White typically gives “DC” whatever he asks for.
Simply put, Jones is unlikely to have a heavyweight window until the end of the year.
Considering how many times Jones has previously fooled us about going up in weight, this is one of those situations where I won’t believe it until I actually see it. Plus, “Bones” has a way of tripping over himself and getting into trouble, whether it be on the road, in the bar, or at the gym.
Assuming he survives 25 minutes against “The Devastator.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 247 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+/Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
For the rest of the UFC 247 fight card and line up click here.