Chael Sonnen names toughest matchup for Jon Jones in the UFC heavyweight division

Chael Sonnen believes that Jon Jones' toughest opponent right now would be Curtis Blaydes, amidst rumors of Jones returning in 2023 after spending more than two years on the sidelines.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen recently shared his opinions on Jones' decision to compete in the heavyweight division and talked about who would be the toughest matchup for 'Bones':

"The toughest matchup for Jon, if you just wondered about Jon Jones. The toughest X's and O's matchup that we see out there is Curtis Blaydes. There was even talk of putting that fight together. A couple of weeks ago, that just came out. If Francis [Ngannou] and Jon doesn't get done, then wouldn't you know for March, we're gonna go with Curtis Blaydes versus Jon."

Watch Chael Sonnen's full YouTube episode below:

With UFC President Dana White confirming that Jones will return to the UFC octagon next year, it is expected that Francis Ngannou will defend his heavyweight title against the American. It is expected that in case Ngannou vs. Jones does not materialize, 'Bones' will face Blaydes instead.

Watch Dana White give an update on Jon Jones's return:

Dana White expects Jon Jones to fight for UFC heavyweight gold in 2023 and "hopefully Francis" Ngannou is the opponent 👀

Full #UFC281 post-fight scrum ▶️ youtu.be/Amc4lzXP48w https://t.co/8gDMwWXtUS

Jon Jones last beat Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, winning the bout via a controversial unanimous decision and has since remained absent from the octagon.

Ariel Helwani gives an update on potential Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou heavyweight clash

Ariel Helwani believes that Jon Jones will face Francis Ngannou around March 2023 and gave an update on the heavyweight champion's contract situation with the UFC.

Francis Ngannou has been involved in some contract issues with the UFC for some time now, and his current contract expires with the UFC this month, meaning that 'The Predator' will soon be a free agent. However, Ngannou's head coach, Eric Nicksick, recently hinted at a possible fight on March 4 via a cryptic tweet.

Y’all busy March 4th?? 😬
#justwondering

With the strong possibility of 'Bones' making his return to the UFC early next year and fighting for the heavyweight championship in his first bout back, Ariel Helwani recently provided some updates on the potential super-fight.

Speaking on the YouTube channel MMAFighting, Helwani stated that Jones vs. Ngannou could happen on the UFC's March pay-per-view card. He said:

"I'm hearing that the talks are actually going pretty good, you saw his coach Eric Nicksick reference March 4th. How long have I been saying this? If they couldn't get a fight in December for Jones, March's early pay-per-view was when they were gonna do it... As I've said, I think they figure it out and I think [Ngannou] signs and I think they make [Jones vs. Ngannou]."

Watch Ariel Helwani's full episode on YouTube below: