Jon Jones is destined for glory in the Heavyweight division
What started with a tease has now culminated into Jon Jones decisively moving to the Heavyweight division after having vacated the Light Heavyweight Championship.
Arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Jon Jones teased a Heavyweight super-fight against Francis Ngannou earlier this year. However, the bout failed to see the light of the day after Jones failed to come to negotiations with the UFC, eventually leading to an ugly spat with UFC President Dana White.
However, soon after, Dana White revealed that he has offered Jon Jones a title defense against Dominick Reyes and was waiting to hear from the Light Heavyweight Champion.
After failing to come to terms yet again, Jon Jones officially vacated the Lightweight title and announced his move to the Heavyweight division. Jan Blachowicz emerged victorious against Dominick Reyes this past week at UFC 253 to become the new Light Heavyweight Champion.
There's a reason to believe that Jon Jones is bound to excel in the Heavyweight division. Speaking about Jones' move to the division, former dual Champion Daniel Cormier stated:
“He will compete against anybody. So for him to go to heavyweight, I don’t know if it’s as risky as people are trying to make it seem. He can fight those guys because I fought those guys. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re dangerous, but he can fight those guys.”
Jon Jones is the only fighter to hand Daniel Cormier a loss in the Light Heavyweight division. Both the fighters have squared off against each other on two occasions, and the former dual Champion is well aware of Jones' ability inside the octagon.
Jon Jones in the Heavyweight division is scary
There are several options ahead of Jon Jones in his Heavyweight debut. He rejected a potential title fight against Jan Blachowicz, after the latter called him out soon after his win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 253. Since, Jones stated that he has no plans of returning and is looking to test himself in the Heavyweight division.
There's no denying Jon Jones' credibility as a fighter. It's hard to imagine a time when Jones wasn't cruising throughout the Light Heavyweight division back in the day.
Additionally, his consistency against several generations of fighters who have come and gone is extremely impressive. Jones remains undefeated and despite a couple of lackluster performances in his last few fights, he has done enough to go down as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Ahead of his Heavyweight debut, Jon Jones has looked in great shape, bulking up considerably to take on the Heavyweights. Jones is 33 and despite his unimaginable records inside the octagon, is far from done.
There's an argument to be made that Jon Jones will be a much quicker Heavyweight than the other fighters. Interestingly enough, it is what makes Stipe Miocic one the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time.
Jon Jones has always been quick on his feet. While it will be interesting to see his transition into the Heavyweight division, it's safe to assume that Jones won't be losing much on power or cardio after he steps up.
Additionally, Jon Jones is a seasoned wrestler with a credible submission game, which will likely give him an edge in the power-driven Heavyweight division. Jones mixes his game well, and could rely more on his grappling skills as he makes his move.
As Stipe Miocic continues to dominate the division with his wrestling prowess and crisp striking, it can be said that Jon Jones could be a finer version of the current Heavyweight Champion.
With a wide variety of attacks in his arsenal and a cardio that goes for days, Jon Jones is destined for glory in the Heavyweight division.