Tag: Jon Jones

When you hear the name Jon Jones these days, one of the first things that comes to mind is a horrific visual of the nasty toe injury he suffered in his fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159.

The light heavyweight champion has been mostly laying low since then. He took a trip to Russia to give a seminar alongside Fedor Emelianenko, but he’s been staying out of the public eye in the United States.

But today, Jones tweeted that he has a big decision to make.

Then a fan followed up asking Jones what his options were.

During a Google Hangout on Wednesday night, Bleacher Report asked Jones’ manager Malki Kawa if the UFC was considering him for the UFC on Fox 1 debut in Boston on August 17. Kawa said he could not comment on any specifics, but did say that with what the UFC has in mind for Jones, he would have to start a training camp in the next three weeks.

A good training camp is almost always eight to 10 weeks, with eight weeks being the average. If Jones starts his camp in the next three weeks, that would have him completing said camp anywhere from a week before the UFC on Fox Sports 1 debut in Boston (if it’s eight weeks) to a week before UFC 164 in Milwaukee (if it’s 10 weeks).

It stands to reason that the UFC wants him for one of those two events. A third option: They want him for UFC 165 in Toronto on September 21. But if they wanted him for that fight card, then they wouldn’t necessarily need to rush him into a training camp, especially with him still recovering from the injury.

Does the UFC want Jones for UFC on Fox Sports in Boston or UFC 164 in Milwaukee?

While promoting UFC 159 in April, UFC president Dana White said that the Fox Sports 1 card was “going to be the best television card we’ve ever done.”

Headlining the card with Jones would certainly give Fox Sports 1 a huge launching pad and accomplish the stated goal.

The question is, do they really want to give away that much for a televised fight card? After T.J. Grant punched his way into a lightweight title fight by finishing Gray Maynard at UFC 160 this past weekend, some speculated that the UFC might want to book Benson Henderson vs. Grant as the Fox Sports 1 main event. At the UFC 160 post-fight presser, Dana White said, “There’s four fights we’re looking at right now for that show. That’s one of them.” White would not name any of the other fights under consideration.

It’s a fight that makes a lot of sense but also would not fully accomplish what Dana promised.

The UFC announced today that Josh Barnett would be making his Octagon return against Frank Mir at UFC 164, a card that also features Chad Mendes taking on Clay Guida and Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier. Adding Jones to that fight card seems like overkill, given that Milwaukee is not a big market. Boston?

That is a very big market and thus makes more sense for a star of Jones’ stature.

Who will Jones fight? Kawa said during the Google Hangout that Jones wants to fight Alexander Gustafsson, who squared off with Jones during a kickboxing event in Russia. Both fighters want the fight, and Gustafsson is the logical next contender. Not only that, but he’s also the only contender who makes sense from a timing perspective.

So it would appear that all of the pieces are in place for Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson on either the UFC on Fox Sports 1 debut or UFC 164. As long as Jones gets a clean bill of health for his toe injury, expect him back in the cage against Gustafsson at one of the August events.

Stay tuned as the main event for UFC on Fox Sports 1 could be announced at a moment’s notice.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

It should not come as a surprise that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones would consider making a move up to heavyweight after dominating the light heavyweight division. In fact, the best “Bones” might show up at heavyweight if Jones makes the move.

Unquestionably, a move up in weight would transform the division.

Besides adding a fresh name to the 25-man UFC heavyweight roster, it also introduces a different set of skills to the division as well as test Jones’ abilities against those of the UFC’s “big boy” weight class.

Now, how would it introduce a different set of skills to the division? Think back to Jones’ style, and remember what he brings to every fight. In addition to natural athleticism, he also blends his wrestling with his judo well, all while incorporating razor-sharp elbows and a technical yet unorthodox striking game.

Unorthodox fighting styles create demand on their own because very few will ever deny the opportunity to watch a fighter whose style defies convention while still garnering success. Jones’ style does that already at light heavyweight, and it impresses greatly.

Even when he doesn’t throw something unorthodox on the feet, he does find a new way of beating quality fighters.

Now, imagine Jones taking those skills to heavyweight. Envision Jones trying to submit a heavyweight with tremendous submission defense or knock out a fighter with a granite chin and an iron heart. Therein lies the test that Jones and his abilities would encounter.

How would he fare against a man with Roy Nelson’s size and power? Could he handle the challenge of a man like Stefan Struve, who matches his 84.5-inch reach and would stand eight inches taller than Jones? What happens when his athleticism and cardio face that of a heavyweight like UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez?

Of course, one can always bring up Junior Dos Santos’ chin, or Alistair Overeem’s kickboxing. In the same breath, one can bring up the undefeated Daniel Cormier, who carries a solid game offensively and defensively.

Jones could find himself in plenty of interesting situations if he does jump to heavyweight, but until he finishes business at light heavyweight and makes the jump, all the “what if” scenarios remain hypothetical.

However, all the hypotheticals that point to Jones wiping out the heavyweights can come true.

With the best Jones yet to come, the question really asks more about when Jones will make the jump rather than if he will.

In time, we will see those bouts come to fruition. Until then, let’s sit back and watch the best light heavyweight in the sport showcase his art once more before taking on the most must-see division in mixed martial arts.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com