John McCarthy reveals the kind of opponents who will give Jon Jones a harder time than most
John McCarthy believes that fighters larger than Jon Jones will likely cause more trouble for the former light heavyweight champion.
In a clip posted to the Weighing In Xtra YouTube channel, McCarthy pointed out that only bigger or equally sized competitors such as Dominick Reyes, Thiago Santos and Alexander Gustaffson have been able to drag Jones into deep waters.
McCarthy said:
"Guys that are of a bigger stature tend to give Jon [Jones] more problems. Guys like Alexander Gustaffson, guys like Dominick Reyes, guys like Anthony Smith, guys like Thiago Santos. Those are the guys he's had a more difficult time with if you're going to look at it. But then you can come back and say, 'Look at the next time he faced Alexander Gustaffson."
The MMA pioneer also lauded the former two-time light heavyweight champion for his fight IQ, saying:
"If there's one thing we know about Jon, dude can fight. Second off, when it comes to... Fight IQ and being able to adapt inside of the cage, unbelievable. He's just got it. He's just incredibly intelligent when it comes to the fight game."
Check out the entire clip below:
Following his final title defense at 205 lbs against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jones opted to vacate the belt and subsequently set his sights on the heavyweight division.
Ever since then, 'Bones' has been packing on quite a bit of size and muscle as he prepares to make the move up.
Fernand Lopez believes a Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones is inevitable
Fernand Lopez believes that Ciryl Gane will fight Jon Jones at some point, regardless of whether 'Bon Gamin' can dethrone Francis Ngannou at UFC 270. During an appearance on Submission Radio, Lopez declared that a clash between Gane and Jones is inevitable. The MMA Factory head coach said:
"We know that no matter what happens, no matter the outcome of Saturday, at some point, we will meet with Jon Jones. [Gane] will face Jon Jones no matter what happens. I'm pretty sure of that and confident. But for now, the toughest guy is [Ngannou]."
Check out Fernand Lopez's appearance on Submission Radio below:
Jones has stated that he wants to return to the octagon at Madison Square Garden in April or at International Fight Week in July. While there has been no official confirmation, many believe he is next in line for a shot at heavyweight gold.
Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are set to lock horns in a title-unification bout at UFC 270 this weekend. Jones will be eyeing the winner as he looks to make his much-anticipated return to the cage.
Irrespective of who he goes up against, Jon Jones has the skillset to beat anybody as he has proved year after year in the 205 lbs division. ‘Bones’ could become a two-division champion in 2022, further solidifying his status as the greatest of all time.