Jon Jones has been poking fun at the notion he is avoiding tough fights by moving up in weight.
Jones relinquished his light-heavyweight title in 2020 after edging out Dominick Reyes over five rounds at UFC 247. The 33-year-old announced his intention to challenge for the heavyweight title and will likely do so against the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou II which is targeted to take place in March.
Since then, Jan Blachowicz captured the vacant 205lb belt by knocking out Reyes inside two rounds. He’ll make the first defence of his title against middleweight king Israel Adesanya, who has enjoyed an intense rivalry with Jones over the past year. ‘Bones’ took to Twitter to react to Adesanya stepping up in weight, he wrote.
“When I move, you move, just like that. Name another fighter who’s made more men retire, switch weight classes, or switch organizations all together. I’ll wait.”
When I move, you move, just like that.
Name another fighter who’s made more men retire, switch weight classes, or switch organizations all together. I’ll wait— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 2, 2021
Jones scoffed at the idea he is running from tough competition at 205lbs.
“I left the LHW division because I was terrified of Dominic, even though Jan was guaranteed the next title shot. And then once the MW champ suddenly moved up, I knew I had made the right choice,” Jones joked. “Glad I decided to go the easy route. “I didn’t leave the light heavyweight division to challenge myself, I ran out of fear.”
I left the LHW division because I was terrified of Dominic, even though Jan was guaranteed the next title shot.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 2, 2021
And then once the MW champ suddenly moved up, I knew I had made the right choice 
Glad I decided to go the easy route
I didn’t leave the light heavyweight division to challenge myself, I ran out of fear
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 2, 2021
The light-heavyweight great seemed to suggest Blachowicz would have been a straight forward title defence in comparison to a fight with the heavy hitting knockout artist Ngannou, he wrote.
“Yep, just couldn’t see myself beating Jan, his style is like nothing I’ve seen before and the thought of fighting a middleweight striker in 2021 was the final straw, figured Francis take down defense was worse, had to run.”
Yep, just couldn’t see myself beating Jan, his style is like nothing I’ve seen before
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 2, 2021
Do you want to see Jon Jones go back down to light-heavyweight?