Can Jon Jones ditch 25 pounds of muscle if heavyweight debut goes wrong? Michael Chiesa discusses
Jon Jones will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March, more than three years after his last fight. Since vacating the light heavyweight title in 2020, Jones has been preparing his body for the move up.
UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa recently questioned what Jones would do if his move to heavyweight fails. Chiesa noted that 'Bones' will no longer have a size and length advantage over opponents, as he did at light heavyweight. 'Maverick' believes that even if Jones' move to heavyweight goes wrong, he may not have the option of moving back down to 205 pounds.
On a recent episode of UFC Live on ESPN MMA, Chiesa said:
"He's packed on a ton of mass, in the three years he's been out of competition he's put on a lot of size... It's a matter of if he can even make the cut to 205 pounds again. I don't know if he can do it... It took [Jones] three years to build up to heavyweight, is it gonna take you three years to go back down to 205 [pounds]? You've put on that much size."
Watch the video below:
Jon Jones has promised fans at least two fights at heavyweight. The former light heavyweight kingpin sees himself beating Ciryl Gane to claim the title and defending it against Stipe Miocic later this year.
However, having recently signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC, Jones' heavyweight run could last a lot longer than previously expected.
Jon Jones has signed a new 8-fight deal with the UFC ahead of his upcoming heavyweight title bout at UFC 285, Dana White announced on Saturday. https://t.co/pAmYsq3LpF
Robert Whittaker describes Jon Jones as a "freak of nature" ahead of his return
Robert Whittaker recently heaped praise on Jon Jones, with the latter's long-awaited return now just weeks away.
Whittaker labeled the former light heavyweight champion as the "best of all time" while previewing the UFC 285 headlining matchup. 'The Reaper' believes that 'Bones' will be able to dominate Ciryl Gane with his superior wrestling and will likely finish 'Bon Gamin' on the ground.
Gane is one of the most technical strikers in the UFC and would be more than capable of landing shots on Jones' chin. However, Whittaker believes that 'Bones' will use his fight IQ to dominate Gane wherever the fights goes:
"He is a freak of nature... Jon Jones will take him down and lay on him and finish him there... He can take people down, grapple them with ease, strike with the best of them... he has it all. Jones probably has the highest IQ in the game."
Watch the interview below: