Tag: Jon Jones

Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira agreed to take place in training: ‘We talked’

Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira agreed to take place in training: 'We talked'A long-mooted meeting of current Octagon gold holders Jon Jones and Alex Pereira is slated amid major fan-anticipation —…

Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira agreed to take place in training: 'We talked'

A long-mooted meeting of current Octagon gold holders Jon Jones and Alex Pereira is slated amid major fan-anticipation — albeit in the training room, with the latter confirming plans to share the mats with the former ahead of his return to action at UFC 309 in November at Madison Square Garden.

Jones, a current heavyweight champion and former two-time undisputed light heavyweight gold holder, finally booked his hiatus-snapping return to action at the end of the year at UFC 309 — with the promotion confirming his Madison Square Garden clash against the returning Stipe Miocic during last weekend’s Noche UFC broadcast.

bones pereira

As for former two-division titleholder, Pereira is set to headline the next flagship event for the organization — booking a UFC 307 main event fight with surging knockout artist, Khalil Rountree in Salt Lake City, Utah just weeks away.

jon jones wins

Alex Pereira expects to train with Jon Jones ahead of UFC 309

And long-linked with a title fight at the heavyweight limit against Rochester veteran, Jones in a bid to become the first three-weight champion in Octagon antiquity, Pereira revealed plans to at least train with the former ahead of his November return in his native New York.

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It was awesome to meet him (Jon Jones), he’s a very nice guy,” Alex Pereira told TNT Sports during his appearance at the Las Vegas Sphere. “We talked, we talked about training together. People talk about me fighting Jon Jones, going up to the heavyweight division, but I don’t know if maybe he has just one fight left. So for me to worry about my weight class is something that’s maybe too much. Right now, maybe we’re going to start training together.”

We’ve been talking a little bit about training together for a long time, but I think it’s going to happen,” Alex Pereira told Full Send MMA. “His fight’s going to be in November. Every time you leave a fight it takes a week or two to recover from small injuries. But I think I’ll have enough time to go over there.”

“Today I saw him more fit than we last saw him, he looks really good and I want to grab his experience,” Alex Pereira explained. “People talk about us fighting, but people talk about him fighting one time, one or twice more. I don’t know if I’ll be able to share the cage with him, but I want to get the experience of training with him.”

Jon Jones: Stipe Miocic Fight At UFC 309 Is ‘Gonna Be The Last Time’

Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon was confirmed this past weekend after the UFC announced more details for UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. It has been clear for a long time now that “Bones” would be defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic after their fight at UFC 295 was postponed due to a […]

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Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon was confirmed this past weekend after the UFC announced more details for UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.

It has been clear for a long time now that “Bones” would be defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic after their fight at UFC 295 was postponed due to a long-term injury.

They are once again booked to headline MSG in November and though this match-up taking place on this card has been known but not made official, there is one other big question hanging over this fight.

Many expected that at UFC 295 last year, there was a strong possibility that both Jones and Miocic would retire after meeting each other inside the Octagon for the first time.

Despite Dana White’s wishes, that still looks to be on the cards.

Jon Jones Says That UFC 309 Will Be ‘More Than Likely’ His Last Dance

There has been a lot of debate about Jones returning to defend his heavyweight title against Miocic.

Most of this has revolved around interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who believes that he should be getting the opportunity to unify the belts later this year.

Jones has made it pretty clear that this fight against the surging Brit isn’t a priority for him and he doubled down on that in a recent interview.

As the consensus greatest of all time was leaving the Sphere after being in attendance at UFC 306 this past weekend, he was stopped and asked about how he’s feeling before returning from another long lay-off.

The heavyweight champ told Clocked N’ Loaded that he’s raring to go.

“I feel great, yeah, I feel really, really good. I’m about 250 pounds, lean and strong.”

Jones was also asked whether he thinks that this will be the final fight of what will potentially end as a 30-fight career following his first heavyweight title defense.

Though the writing has been on the wall regarding the status of his career after UFC 309, he personally confirmed that this is looking like his last ride.

“This is gonna be the last time. Gonna be the last time. More than likely.”

Read also: ‘That Was A Fluke Too’ – Former UFC Champ Questions O’Malley’s Win Over Sterling After UFC 306

Continue Reading Jon Jones: Stipe Miocic Fight At UFC 309 Is ‘Gonna Be The Last Time’ at MMA News.

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic Title Fight Official For UFC 309 On Nov. 16

A year on from their originally scheduled showdown, UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will finally do battle inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden. Not many topics have remained at the surface this year quite like the heavyweight championship conversation, which boasts two titleholders in the form of Jones and Tom […]

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A year on from their originally scheduled showdown, UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will finally do battle inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden.

Not many topics have remained at the surface this year quite like the heavyweight championship conversation, which boasts two titleholders in the form of Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Although the Brit captured interim gold courtesy of Jones vs. Miocic getting postponed in late 2023, both “Bones” and the UFC have long remained firm in dismissing calls for a unification fight.

And in spite of plenty of campaigning from Aspinall and many in the MMA community, Jones’ first title defense is now officially set to come against the returning Miocic, who hasn’t been in action since suffering a devastating knockout at the hands of Francis Ngannou over three years ago.

The promotion confirmed to ESPN that the two legends will give an MSG clash a second go, headlining the UFC 309 pay-per-view on November 16.

Jones Set For First Defense 20 Months On From UFC Heavyweight Title Win

Jones (27-1, 1 NC), a former champ at 205 pounds, last entered the cage in March 2023. Over three years on from his final title defense in the lower weight class, the Rochester native debuted at heavyweight by submitting Ciryl Gane in one round to capture the then-vacant title.

His attempt to get his reign quickly underway with a defense eight months later didn’t come to fruition after a torn pectoral tendon forced him out of the MSG-held UFC 295 last November.

That injury also significantly delayed the comeback of Miocic (20-4), whose lengthy layoff has been extended by a year. The Ohio native’s previous outing came inside the Apex, where his second reign on the heavyweight throne came to a thunderous halt courtesy of Ngannou. He’d previously defeated Daniel Cormier in back-to-back fights to edge their trilogy.

With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 309 are as follows:

  • Jon Jones (C) vs. Stipe Miocic (heavyweight championship main event)
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler (lightweight co-main event)
  • Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov (light heavyweight)
  • Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders (middleweight)
  • Viviane Araújo vs. Karine Silva (women’s flyweight)
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee (bantamweight)
  • Karine Silva vs. Viviane Araújo (women’s flyweight)
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura (women’s flyweight)
Jon Jones
Image: UFC.com

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Conor McGregor’s Coach Omits Jon Jones From His MMA Mount Rushmore

Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, recently shared his picks for an MMA Mount Rushmore. Intriguingly, Jon Jones was conspicuously absent from his list. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s name is a natural inclusion in any conversation about the greatest MMA fighter of all time (GOAT), and his achievements would appear to certainly validate that status. […]

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Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, recently shared his picks for an MMA Mount Rushmore. Intriguingly, Jon Jones was conspicuously absent from his list.

The reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s name is a natural inclusion in any conversation about the greatest MMA fighter of all time (GOAT), and his achievements would appear to certainly validate that status. “Bones” boasts a career marked by extraordinary accomplishments and historic milestones.

At just 23, Jones made history by defeating then-light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua in the third round at UFC 128 in March 2011, securing his place as the youngest UFC champion ever. From that moment, he never looked back, embarking on a remarkable journey that culminated in an unprecedented 13 successful title defenses.

In recent times, no one has been more vocally supportive of Jones’ status as the GOAT and the top pound-for-pound fighter than UFC CEO Dana White. White has been notably immersed in extensive discussions, staunchly defending the 37-year-old New Yorker’s legacy.

However, Kavanagh’s all-time MMA elite list boasts an array of unexpected names, and it overlooks Jones despite his legendary career…

Kavanagh Reveals Five Picks for MMA Mount Rushmore With No Jones

During a recent discussion with Lucky Block, Kavanagh was prompted to name the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The renowned coach listed five names, deviating from the traditional four-person Mount Rushmore.

Naturally, Kavanagh included “The Notorious” as his first pick, highlighting the remarkable achievements of his student and the profound impact he’s had on the sport.

“Unsurprisingly, I’m going to name Conor first because he became the first simultaneous two-weight world champion. That’s no small feat, but also what he did for the game in general, his general introduction of MMA to a whole world who would have never seen it, really. He’s the first and maybe the only one to truly cross over into, let’s say, normal life, and obviously, now he’s in movies as well. A lot of people to be thankful that if you’re involved in the MMA industry, you probably had a few guys walk into your gym because of Conor’s influence.”

Kavanagh then listed Russian MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko among his favorites, followed by UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn, recognizing his McGregor-esque achievements.

For his fourth pick, he named another legend, former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

“Number two, I’ll say Fedor Emelianenko. He’s one of my favorite fighters of all time. Incredible Russian fighter. I’m going to say, BJ Penn, another two-weight world champion. Incredible skill set. At four, I have to go for Anderson Silva. I think some record number of title defenses and just so skillful, you watch him back in the day when he was fighting someone who’s a kind of a friend of mine, Forrest Griffin. Forrest is so tough, so durable, so good, and Anderson made the poor guy look like he’d never trained. He has amazing skills.”

The SBG Ireland founder placed the first women’s UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, as his fifth pick, celebrating her as a trailblazer who revolutionized women’s MMA.

“At five I will say Ronda Rousey and not just for her amazing victories in the UFC, but the fact that she really introduced women’s MMA to the world. Dana was pretty headstrong all those years, saying he would never have women in MMA. And I think he took one look at her and said, let’s get women in MMA. So, there we go. That’s my five.”

Kavanagh’s omission of “Bones” from his MMA Mount Rushmore is indeed surprising, but he’s not alone in leaving out the former light heavyweight champion.

Recently, UFC middleweight veteran Sam Alvey has also excluded Jones from his list of top fighters, further stirring curiosity about Jones’ place in the pantheon of MMA greatness.

Continue Reading Conor McGregor’s Coach Omits Jon Jones From His MMA Mount Rushmore at MMA News.

Dana White Rage Quits Stream and Snaps at MMA Fans over Jon Jones Dig: “Shut the f**k up.”

Dana White Rage Quits Stream and Snaps at MMA Fans over Jon Jones Dig: "Shut the f**k up."Dana White rage-quit a live stream after fans gave him sh*t over his unending praise for Jon Jones. While…

Dana White Rage Quits Stream and Snaps at MMA Fans over Jon Jones Dig: "Shut the f**k up."

Dana White rage-quit a live stream after fans gave him sh*t over his unending praise for Jon Jones.

While the UFC CEO may not be the best of friends with the undisputed heavyweight champion, White has been more than willing to hail ‘Bones’ as the No. 1 P4P fighter in the world and then promptly argue with anyone who says otherwise.

As a result, that’s made White a bit of a target on social media with fight fans constantly trolling him over his adulation of a fighter who has only competed one time in the last four-and-a-half years.

Dana White and Jon Jones

While interacting with fans on Instagram Live ahead of Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC boss man abruptly shut things down after multiple comments came rolling in about his obsequious flattery of Jones.

“Shut the f*ck up. Look at the stats, read them. Best of all time, and he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Ride that motherf*cker.”

Dana White and Jon Jones

Dana White Still Has a Sense of humor over his jon jones obsession

Of course, White has a sense of humor about the subject, so long as you catch him at the right time. Not long after closing down his Instagram Live in a tizzy, he returned only to be bombarded with more comments about Jon Jones. This time, someone asked White if he was going to “oil up” the former light heavyweight champ.

White couldn’t help, but laugh at the comment before calling the commenters “mentally ill.”

“When’s this oil thing going to go away?… This guy says, ‘When you going to oil up Jon Jones?’. You guys are f*cking mentally ill” White said.

With Jon Jones rumored to return in November for UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden, we can only assume that White will continue to poke at pundits with his unabashed love for Jones over the next couple of months.

Dana White and Jon Jones

Former UFC Fighter Rejects Jon Jones For MMA Mount Rushmore: ‘People Outside The Sport Don’t Know Him!’

For many, UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is a shoo-in when selecting four names for the Mount Rushmore of MMA. Not for this former fighter, however… The topic of creating an MMA Mt. Rushmore has returned to the surface this week after UFC CEO Dana White selected his four names during a video for ESPN […]

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For many, UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is a shoo-in when selecting four names for the Mount Rushmore of MMA. Not for this former fighter, however…

The topic of creating an MMA Mt. Rushmore has returned to the surface this week after UFC CEO Dana White selected his four names during a video for ESPN MMA’s social media channels.

White chose Jones and Georges St-Pierre, two names that were among the consensus picks and widely selected by the MMA Masses. But he caused debate by putting them alongside Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.

The list marked a significant change from his Mt. Rushmore from 2020, which saw Jones joined by Amanda Nunes, Chuck Liddell, and Royce Gracie.

Many have been quick to dismiss the presence of “The Notorious” Irishman and “Rowdy” on White’s list, but one former UFC fighter recently took issue with another of his ex-employer’s selections…

Alvey Dismisses Jones’ MMA Mount Rushmore Credentials

The topic of White’s frequent backing of Jones’ greatness and pound-for-pound status has become a running joke in the MMA community. A previous one in years gone by surrounded Sam Alvey, who managed to remain on the roster despite amassing the lengthiest winless streak in the promotion’s history.

Well, when world’s collide…

In the comment section of an MMA Fighting Instagram post detailing White’s Mt. Rushmore picks, Alvey rejected Jones as a worthy candidate for one of the four spots. According to “Smile’n,” the former light heavyweight kingpin hasn’t done enough for the sport and is barely even known outside of it.

Sam Alvey

“Y’all know I’m not a (Jon) Jones fan. He cheats too much, but he hasn’t done anything that’s spectacular for the sport,” Alvey wrote. “He’s been good for a long time, but his pay-per-view numbers aren’t great, his finishes used to be great, and people outside of the sport can’t name him.

“Ronda and (Conor McGregor) are food (picks), Gracie has to be on it, and honestly, I would put Dana White there,” Alvey added.

Alvey departed the UFC in 2022 after his run without a victory stretched to nine straight fights. He’s since bounced back in one MMA outing and secured a title crowning under the Karate Combat banner.

Had he remained in the UFC till now, perhaps his Jones blasphemy would have marked the tipping point for White anyway…

Continue Reading Former UFC Fighter Rejects Jon Jones For MMA Mount Rushmore: ‘People Outside The Sport Don’t Know Him!’ at MMA News.