"He's done a lot of things that nobody else can do" - Chael Sonnen shares why he's into Jon Jones' heavyweight "experiment"
Chael Sonnen has weighed in on on why he's intriuged by the prospect of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones making his long-awaited debut in the heavyweight division.
On the You’re Welcome! with Chael Sonnen podcast, the fighter-turned-analyst addressed Jones’ recent statements regarding a possible fight against Stipe Miocic.
Jones suggested that he wants consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic at his best, which is why he’s willing to wait until September for the fight. Sonnen addressed the matchup and stated:
“It now does look like it’s now going to be Jones versus Stipe. And that’s a very compelling match; I mean, it really is. This Jon Jones experiment has not fallen deaf on me yet. I’m still very into this. If this was any other athlete but Jon Jones, and you had any one of three clues, I would tell you he’s going to lose.”
Stipe is saying that he will be at his absolute peak in September. I’m disappointed but patient, I want the heavyweight goat at his absolute best. I’ll wait until September. No excuses
Sonnen alluded to the fact that Jones hasn’t competed since February 2020. Secondly, Sonnen noted that Jones is moving up from the light heavyweight (205 pounds) division to the heavyweight (265 pounds) class.
Furthermore, Sonnen pointed out that after his last fight, Jones eventually changed gyms and now trains at Fight Ready in Arizona rather than the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackson Wink was his home base for several years, and he'd long resided in New Mexico.
Regardless, Sonnen revealed that he’s been hearing glowing reviews about Jones’ performances at the gym. Sonnen said:
“Jon has all of those things stacked up against him. The problem is he’s Jon Jones. He’s done a lot of things that nobody else can do. He’s done a lot of things that nobody else has been able to do.”
Listen to the latest edition of You’re Welcome! with Chael Sonnen in the audio file below:
Chael Sonnen lists Tom Aspinall as a potential opponent for Jon Jones
In a recent edition of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen discussed possible future opponents for MMA legend Jon 'Bones' Jones.
Picking UK MMA prospect Tom Aspinall as a potential rival for Jones, Sonnen said:
"Who is his opponent going to be? Moreover, who is he going to partner with? I personally believe in [Tom] Aspinall. I think that he is really a diamond in the rough. I think he is going to want to do really great things.”
Catch the full video below:
Despite the intriguing stylistic matchup, Sonnen indicated that it might be too early to pit Aspinall against someone as experienced as Jones. He also insinuated that Jones himself hasn't proven his mettle at heavyweight yet.
Presently, the much-discussed Jones-Miocic matchup is yet to be officially announced, but is expected to take place before the year is out.