Brandon Gibson believes Jon Jones will start ‘putting guys to sleep’ more often when he eventually returns to the UFC.
Despite a long list of controversies to his name, including a second failed drug test stemming from UFC 214, Jon Jones is still considered one of, if not the, greatest fighters of all time.
The former pound-for-pound great has beat some of the best fighters in the world, including newly-crowned two division champion Daniel Cormier, who surged to the top of the p4p rankings after he knocked out Stipe Miocic to win the heavyweight title at UFC 226.
Jones, however, despite his many accomplishments, has never demonstrated the kind of one shot knockout power to strike the fear of God in his opponents. Jones has a plethora of highlight reel stoppage victories to his name, and has some of the nastiest elbows in the game, but the former light heavyweight kingpin is not a knockout artist.
All that could change, however, after ‘Bones’ eventually returns to the Octagon. According to his longtime striking coach, Brandon Gibson, Jones has been working extensively on his knockout power and is expected to start ‘putting guys to sleep’ more frequently in his UFC return.
“I think there’s still a lot of growth possible,” Gibson told Luke Thomas on a recent edition of The MMA Hour, per MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee. “Jon’s in his 30s now, I think he’s really starting to develop the one-strike knockout power, we saw that in the last (Daniel Cormier) fight. Before that, Jon was like a break ‘em down, break ‘em down, break ‘em down, finish, where guys were never just out cold, unconscious. I think now Jon’s really developing a lot of power for 205 and he’s gonna really start putting guys to sleep.”
Gibson, who tutors Jones at Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, also believes his prized student will inevitably reclaim the light heavyweight title and cement his legacy as the greatest fighter of all time.
“He’s a special champion, he has a very special mindset, and he’ll get in there and I believe reclaim everything that he ever had and more. I told him the other day that I think greatness and his legacy continue to await us. We’re not there yet.”
Gibson also hinted at Jones eventually fighting for the heavyweight strap.
“I think the goal right now when he returns would be to claim back the light heavyweight crown,” he said, “But Jon has a frame and definitely the technique and the size to compete at heavyweight. And who knows, maybe they make a 225 cruiserweight some day, or 195. I think Jon would have a lot of interest in different weight categories, not just heavyweight.”
Gibson is clearly optimistic and hopeful for Jones, but the 31-year-old could be on the sidelines for a long time to come. Jones tested positive for steroids last year and, due to being a repeat offender, the controversial star could face a whopping four-year suspension by USADA. Jones has been removed from the UFC rankings and his knockout win over Cormier was overturned to a No Contest.