Chael Sonnen names the hardest fight for Jon Jones in the heavyweight division
Chael Sonnen recently named the hardest heavyweight matchup for Jon Jones in the UFC. According to Sonnen, number four-ranked heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes is the toughest matchup for 'Jonny Bones'.
However, 'The American Gangster' labeled Stipe Miocic the best active UFC heavyweight instead of Blaydes. The 45-year-old recently said on YouTube:
"The hardest fight in the heavyweight division right now for Jon Jones is Curtis Blaydes. I'm not ready to word that differently. I'm not ready to tell you guys that absent Jon Jones, the best heavyweight out there is Curtis Blaydes. I'm not ready to do that but I'm damn close. I still believe it's Stipe."
Sonnen also questioned the lack of hype behind 'Razor' despite his amazing skillset. According to the former UFC middleweight, the resistance against Blaydes has spilled over from fans to the UFC top brass.
Watch Sonnen's YouTube video below:
Curtis Blaydes currently holds a 11-3 promotional record and has only lost to the heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and KO king Derrick Lewis. 'Razor' is coming off back-to-back wins topped off by a second-round KO of the surging Chris Daukas in March.
Curtis Blaydes is confident about Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic bout coming to fruition
Rumors of Jon Jones facing Stipe Miocic in his heavyweight debut have been making the rounds for a while now. While the outcome of Jones' salary negotiations with the UFC remains unclear, Curtis Blaydes is confident that Jones vs. Miocic coming to fruition.
Blaydes is scheduled to headline a UFC Fight Night in London against Tom Aspinall on July 23. 'Razor' believes the winner of his bout against the Englishman will likely face the winner of Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa, which is being targeted for September.
According to Blaydes, this will give enough buffer time to the winner of Jones vs. Miocic to decide their next move. The 31-year-old recently spoke to James Lynch from MiddleEasy on the same, stating:
“I think it [Jones versus Miocic] happens. I think that fight happens. And then, like I said, the winner of me versus [Tom] Aspinall is going to get the winner of Ciryl Gane and [Tai] Tuivasa. And then, the winner of Jon and Stipe gets to hang out because, obviously, they have the belt, the interim belt. They get to wait, and then maybe, it’ll be up to them who they want to fight next. I don’t know for sure about that one, but I do believe that fight’s gonna happen. I do.”
Watch Sonnen's interview with Lynch below: