Tag: Jon Jones

UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight

A recently retired UFC fighter believes the promotion could cash in big time by having reigning light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira challenge his heavyweight counterpart, Jon Jones. The possibility of Jones facing Pereira was barely a topic when the former debuted at heavyweight by winning the then-vacant title back in March 2023. At the time, […]

Continue Reading UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight at MMA News.

A recently retired UFC fighter believes the promotion could cash in big time by having reigning light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira challenge his heavyweight counterpart, Jon Jones.

The possibility of Jones facing Pereira was barely a topic when the former debuted at heavyweight by winning the then-vacant title back in March 2023. At the time, “Poatan” occupied the throne at 185 pounds.

But since the end of his middleweight reign the following month, Pereira has moved up to light heavyweight and marked himself as one of the promotion’s leading stars by achieving two-division glory.

And a string of three straight title defenses in 2023 has left many calling for the Brazilian kickboxing specialist to move up again in pursuit of a historic achievement — championship glory in three separate weight classes.

Though Pereira was dismissive of an immediate heavyweight jump in the aftermath of his victory over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 earlier this month, many are hoping for the promotion to push for it should Jones keep hold of his gold beyond next month’s Madison Square Garden event.

During a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown touched on the topic and was firm in his belief when it comes to the magnitude of the potential clash.

“I don’t doubt this could be as big as any Conor fight,” Brown said. “This could be promoted to the max. They could do it (International) Fight Week or one of the gigantic cards maybe at the Sphere, something crazy. This could be enormous. Jon’s a smart guy. He’s here for the money now, I think. Legacy and money and Alex is going to bring that. It could be promoted as much as you want to promote. This could be the money fight. It’s heavyweight, too. Heavyweight fights always bring a stigma to them that those lighter fights just don’t bring.

“Conor obviously brought the trash talk and all the antics, the funny stuff and the cool stuff, there’s a certain aura when Conor comes into the cage,” Brown continued. “But there’s a different aura that can be sold here when Jon Jones, the greatest of all-time, who just beat the greatest heavyweight of all-time — assuming that happens — fighting another guy trying to do the biggest thing of all-time, (become) a three-weight world champion. I can’t think of a bigger fight outside of Conor, but I think it could be as big as any Conor fight.”

The bout has evidently been discussed internally, with UFC CEO Dana White revealing earlier this year that color commentator Joe Rogan has been pushing for “Poatan” and “Bones” to be matched up.

For the time being, Jones has his focus on the returning Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Beyond that, most believe any continued stay in the sport as an active fighter should see him unify the heavyweight title against Aspinall.

But perhaps the UFC would share Brown’s view on the draw of Jones vs. Pereira instead.

Continue Reading UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics

The manager of Islam Makhachev believes Dana White’s attempt to downplay the UFC lightweight champion’s status as pound-for-pound best is entirely down to his efforts to promote Jon Jones. “Bones,” a former light heavyweight kingpin who captured the heavyweight gold in his divisional debut last year, is set to make his long-awaited return to defend […]

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics at MMA News.

The manager of Islam Makhachev believes Dana White’s attempt to downplay the UFC lightweight champion’s status as pound-for-pound best is entirely down to his efforts to promote Jon Jones.

“Bones,” a former light heavyweight kingpin who captured the heavyweight gold in his divisional debut last year, is set to make his long-awaited return to defend the belt in the UFC 309 main event next month.

While Jones and the UFC CEO haven’t seen eye to eye in the past, White has been spreading stories of the heavyweight champ’s accolades and his continued superiority on podcasts and during interviews throughout this year.

Among White’s claims is the suggestion that the rankings panel have massively messed up by putting Makhachev in the pound-for-pound top spot over Jones.

During an interview with MMA Fighting, the Dagestani’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, provided his response to White’s continued dismissal of Makhachev as being worthy of the P4P crown.

“Listen, it’s the reason why Dana White is the pound-for-pound greatest promoter on this planet,” Abdelaziz explained. “Jon Jones is fighting next month. He’s fighting a guy (in Stipe Miocic), he’s probably going to be -800 against. (This is) the best way to promote this fight, to promote Jon Jones.

“Dana never promoted Jon Jones for some reason. But now he’s on Jon Jones’ wagon. Guess what? This promotes Jon Jones, too,” Abdelaziz continued. “He can say he’s the greatest of all time. Islam Makhachev right now currently is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter in the world by far. It’s not even second place. But Dana’s Dana. People think he’s talking gospel.”

White isn’t along in disagreeing with Abdelaziz’s take.

Makhachev’s expected next challenger, in-form Russian-Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan, also put Jones above the lightweight champ while discussing the pound-for-pound order in a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Reignites Rivalry, Sends Message to Jon Jones Post-PFL Win

Francis Ngannou Reignites Rivalry, Sends Message to Jon Jones Post-PFL WinAfter his successful return to mixed martial arts, Francis Ngannou fired a shot at the UFC’s current undisputed titleholder….

Francis Ngannou Reignites Rivalry, Sends Message to Jon Jones Post-PFL Win

After his successful return to mixed martial arts, Francis Ngannou fired a shot at the UFC’s current undisputed titleholder.

Nearly three years removed from his last fight inside the Octagon against Ciryl Gane, ‘The Predator’ strapped on the four-ounce gloves for a highly anticipated clash with 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira.

Ngannou ended up getting the win via TKO in the first round after putting ‘Problema’ on the mat and forcing a stoppage via ground-and-pound.

Following his successful PFL debut at the promotion’s ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou reignited his longstanding rivalry with UFC undisputed heavyweight titleholder and consensus GOAT Jon Jones.

“You know it’s a fight I’ve always asked for… It’s been 4 years or more that I’ve been asking for this fight,” Ngannou said of a potential clash with Jones during the PFL post-fight press conference. “So if in the future there’s an opportunity to do this fight, I think if I only ever had one fight to be in, and I had to choose, it would be this one” (h/t Sportskeeda).

will we ever see Francis ngannou vs. Jon Jones?

Jones and Ngannou were heavily rumored to collide in 2022 before ‘The Predator’ ended up putting his heavyweight title on the line against Gane at UFC 270. Immediately following the fight, Ngannou revealed that he would need to take time off to undergo surgery.

Francis Ngannou

Many hoped his first fight back would be against ‘Bones’ who had been plotting his heavyweight debut for years. Unfortunately, the fight never came to fruition and who’s to blame is still up for debate. Ngannou has largely blamed the UFC for not coming correct with an offer while Jones and Dana White have routinely pointed the finger at the Cameroonian.

Francis Ngannou

Regardless, fans are still itching to see who the true heavyweight world champion is. Sadly, it sounds like White is unwilling to play nice with the PFL ensuring that we’ll likely never see Ngannou vs. Jones happen under either organization’s banner.

Francis Ngannou

Jon Jones is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title for the first time on November 16 when he meets Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.

Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall currently holds the global heavyweight crown over both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. The debate surrounding who sits top spot as the world’s best heavyweight has picked up again following a standout performance from Ngannou this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headlining a PFL pay-per-view, […]

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones at MMA News.

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall currently holds the global heavyweight crown over both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

The debate surrounding who sits top spot as the world’s best heavyweight has picked up again following a standout performance from Ngannou this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Headlining a PFL pay-per-view, “The Predator” debuted in the SmartCage by battering Renan Ferreira on the ground and rendering the Brazilian unconscious in the very first round. The result came in Ngannou’s first MMA bout since January 2022.

With the Cameroonian back in the discussion, he appears to be battling the UFC’s heavyweight champ, Jones, and his interim counterpart, Aspinall, for the global throne.

And although much of the discussion post-fight for Ngannou has centered around a long-desired clash with Jones, Cormier said during a recent episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA‘s YouTube channel that they would be competing for silver.

After dismissing Ngannou’s claim to superiority over Jones and Aspinall, “DC” said he’d back the Englishman to beat both “The Predator” and “Bones,” leaving him as the best heavyweight in the world.

“I don’t believe he’s the best heavyweight, not Francis,” Cormier said. “I think the best heavyweight is Tom Aspinall, still. I still believe the best heavyweight in the world right now is Tom Aspinall. I think Jon is, but he’s older now. I think Aspinall’s still young, he’s fresh. There is something to not having everything yet. When you have everything, it’s hard, man. This guy Tom still doesn’t have everything. Sure, he’s headlined a couple of pay-per-view. But he’s not making seven figures every time he walks into the Octagon. He hasn’t been making a million dollars for 10 years like Jon Jones.

“I believe that Jones right now has everything. … There was a time he could go through anything to stay champion. Can he still do that? … Can he dig as deep as he did against Alexander Gustafsson?” Cormier continued. “Aspinall sure has a lot of questions, but when you look at these dudes all on paper, I would favor Tom to beat Francis, I would favor Tom to beat Stipe (Miocic), and I would actually favor Tom to beat Jon Jones right now.”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead in MMA for Ngannou, but given his position away from the UFC and the uncertainty surrounding suitable opposition, he may struggle to change the minds of those sharing Cormier’s sentiment.

Aspinall himself has cited Ngannou’s opponent options away from the Octagon as the reason why he doesn’t consider the Cameroonian a candidate for best-heavyweight status.

The Manchester native is confident that he holds that distinction, but he unfortunately won’t have the chance to prove it next time out. Much to his bemusement and the frustration of many fans, Jones won’t be unifying the title next month.

Instead, the former light heavyweight kingpin is set to put his gold on the line at UFC 309 against Miocic, who hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Ngannou back in March 2021.

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones at MMA News.

GOAT Recognizes GOAT: Jon Jones Praises Cris Cyborg’s PFL Title Win in Saudi Arabia

GOAT Recognizes GOAT: Jon Jones Praises Cris Cyborg's PFL Title Win in Saudi ArabiaJon Jones was very impressed with Cris Cyborg’s latest world title-winning performance over the weekend. Making her Smart Cage…

GOAT Recognizes GOAT: Jon Jones Praises Cris Cyborg's PFL Title Win in Saudi Arabia

Jon Jones was very impressed with Cris Cyborg’s latest world title-winning performance over the weekend.

Making her Smart Cage debut at the PFL’s ‘Battle of The Giants’ pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia, Cyborg entered her bout as the reigning Bellator featherweight champion. Following an entertaining 25-minute war with two-time PFL tournament winner Larissa Pacheco, Cyborg left as the first-ever PFL Super Fights champion, adding yet another piece of gold to her already impressive collection.

Her unanimous decision win over Pacheco garnered the attention of fighters and fans alike, including undisputed UFC heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones who shared his appreciation for Cyborg’s performance on Saturday night.

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“I’m incredibly proud of Cris Cyborg right now. OG showing how it’s done,” Jones wrote on X.

Cyborg Responds to Jon Jones

Cyborg responded shortly after, calling ‘Bones’ the GOAT and thanking him for his kind words.

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“Thank you Jon, you are the [goat emoji] and I appreciate this,” Cyborg replied.

With the win, Cyborg has not won 17 title fights over the last 15 years. Along the way, she’s captured gold in practically every major mixed martial arts organization, including Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC, Bellator, and PFL.

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At 39 years old, it’s clear that Cyborg hasn’t lost a step inside the cage, but even she knows that eventually, she’ll have to lay down her gloves for good and call it a career. Sadly, it sounds like that may be sooner rather than later.

“It took a long time to fight,” Cyborg told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “My last time, I fought one year ago. I wanted to fight more times, for me to defend my title, because I want to complete 20 years in my career. This year is 19 and I want to go to my next chapter of my life and have a kid. Next plan, I’d like to defend my title as soon as possible.”

Jon Jones Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Triumphant PFL Debut: “Congratulations Champ”

Jon Jones, Francis NgannouUFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones put his previous bad blood with Francis Ngannou aside to congratulate him on his…

Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones put his previous bad blood with Francis Ngannou aside to congratulate him on his first-round finish against PFL giant Renan Ferreira.

Ngannou returned to MMA after nearly three years away from the cage on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headlining an event with the reigning PFL titleholder Ferreira, Ngannou wasted zero time taking down the behemoth Ferreira, ultimately finishing the Brazilian with ground and pound in the first round.

If you missed Ngannou’s finish at Battle of the Giants, watch the highlight below.

The former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou signed with PFL last year after a long, rocky contract dispute with the UFC brass. The UFC stripped Ngannou of the heavyweight title upon his departure, and he then turned his full attention towards boxing fights with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Jones and Ngannou’s careers have been linked for years, stemming from the potential UFC superfight that never came to fruition. Despite past tensions, Jones credited Ngannou with his performance in the PFL SmartCage.

Jon Jones Applauds Francis Ngannou on Dominant PFL Debut

In a recent tweet, Jones congratulated Ngannou on his performance.

Jones won Ngannou’s stripped UFC title by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He’s scheduled to defend his UFC heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in New York City next month.

Ngannou captured the UFC heavyweight belt by knocking out Miocic at UFC 260, before defending it against Gane at UFC 270. During his UFC tenure, he earned some of the most brutal knockouts in the promotion’s history.

Despite their UFC clash never coming to fruition, Jones and Ngannou teased fans with a cage-side faceoff at a PFL event last year. While their unanimously desired super fight is likely off the table, their heavyweight reigns will be discussed in the same breath.