"If anybody just got screwed here, it's Jon Jones" - Chael Sonnen explains how Jon Jones fits into the UFC heavyweight title picture
Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on how Jon Jones now fits into the UFC heavyweight title picture.
At UFC 265 this past weekend, Ciryl Gane dominated Derrick Lewis and captured the UFC interim heavyweight title. He did so in a manner that vaulted him straight to the top of the queue when it comes to who will face Francis Ngannou for the undisputed belt, knocking Jon Jones back down to a level alongside Stipe Miocic.
Will Jon Jones get his shot?
It’s been 18 months since we’ve seen Jon Jones compete inside the octagon and while he may have established himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, he still has a lot to prove with respect to his impending heavyweight move.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen, a former opponent of Jon Jones', has given his own thoughts on where 'Bones' now lies in the title picture.
“What do you do if you’re Jon? I don’t know the answer to that. I follow the golden rule of put myself in his shoes, how would I act. Jon is being offered, and this offer is good, you come in and your first time [at heavyweight] you can fight for a belt. Jon is now being offered Stipe Miocic which would not be for a belt. So it’s very clear that Jon isn’t being pressured, Jon is being given a couple of options.
“That’s very relevant because while the rest of us would say we want the championship opportunity, Jon is a competitor. He might look at it and go you know what, I’ve been very hesitant to go up to heavyweight to start with, I’ve been very disciplined to put on size, I’ve now been removed for a period of time, getting my feet wet in there with somebody might be a positive. That might be a stretch, Jon’s mind might not work that way, but it might.”
Catch Chael Sonnen's view on what's next for Jon Jones below:
Jon Jones continues to serve as one of the real gold standards in the history of mixed martial arts and in particular the UFC, and that trend looks set to continue up at heavyweight - regardless of which route he goes down.