Jon Jones, UFC 232

Jon Jones will need ‘that checkbook’ out to move up to heavyweight

Many fans have been clamoring to see Jon Jones move up to heavyweight, as for the most part, the light heavyweight champion has cleared out the light heavyweight division. And, at heavyweight, there are very intriguing fights like the Daniel Cormier trilogy bout, Francis Ngannou, and Stipe Miocic scrap among others.

“I am interested in fighting at heavyweight but I’m also aware that there’s a lot of work to be done in the light heavyweight division,” Jon Jones told ESPN over the weekend (transcript via MMA Fighting). “There’s a lot of big fights that people want to see me have in the light heavyweight division so there’s really no need for me to go to heavyweight. I’m doing well where I’m at.”

Why he isn’t sure of going up is the fact that he is a true light heavyweight and makes weight really easy. But, he says he may move up, and if he does, he will need the checkbook out.

“I’m making weight really easily and I feel like when the UFC approaches me about a fight they feel will be a megafight and they come with the numbers that would make sense for me to do that, I’ll totally do it. But right now the UFC I think is happy with me being a dominant light heavyweight champion and like we said, there’s a lot of really great new challenges. So there’s a lot of work to be done where I’m at and it’s gonna take that checkbook for me to bounce up to heavyweight.”

Right now, Jon Jones is just focused on fighting on light heavyweight and fighting Thiago Santos at UFC 239 this Saturday. There, he is looking to defend his light heavyweight title once again, and whether or not heavyweight is next seems unlikely, for now.
author avatar
Cole Shelton
Cole Shelton covers MMA for BJPenn.com, MMANews, and MyMMANews.com while also being the lead MMA odds writer for Sports Betting Dime