Chael Sonnen wants Jon Jones to be the back-up fighter for UFC 260 clash between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou
Chael Sonnen believes that if Jon Jones becomes the back-up fighter for the UFC 260 main event, it will be a good start to his stint in the heavyweight division.
In the latest video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen discussed the upcoming heavyweight bout between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. He noted that the UFC has not announced any back-up fighter for the event yet.
Moreover, a majority of the top heavyweight contenders are competing around the same time as UFC 260. The timeline of upcoming heavyweight events is:
- Alistair Overeem vs Alex Volkov: Feb 6 (UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov)
- Curtis Blaydes vs Derrick Lewis: Feb 20 (UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis)
- Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou: March 27 (UFC 260)
In such a situation, Chael Sonnen believes it will be beneficial for Jon Jones to step up as the back-up fighter for the Miocic vs Ngannour card.
Michael Chandler served as the backup fighter for the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje last year. In agreeing to face two fighters with completely different styles on short notice, Chandler made a dynamic impression on the UFC faithful.
Chael Sonnen believes that Jon Jones should aim to make a similar statement and impression in his heavyweight debut. Jones has had a rather strained relationship with MMA fans due to multiple problems with law-enforcement, not to mention his USADA doping violations.
Jon Jones' most recent run-in with the law was on March 26th last, where he was charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container, and driving with no proof of insurance.
Jon Jones has been training to shift up to heavyweight for quite some time now after being stripped of the lightweight title. Posing as a backup to potentially fight Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic will improve his image in the MMA community.
Who else can take the backup spot at UFC 260 besides Jon Jones?
UFC President Dana White ensures that events such as UFC 260 have backup fighters ready in case of any complication. Therefore, a backup is a must in order to prevent the event from disappointing fans.
Chael Sonnen listed a few other potential backup fighters for UFC 260. The first plausible suggestion came in #3-ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The Surinamese fighter holds an 11-1-0 MMA record. His only loss came at the hands of Francis Ngannou at UFC 249. Rozenstruik holds wins over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Andrei Arlovski.
Sonnen also suggested that Ciryl Gane could be another backup for the heavyweight bout. The #7-ranked French fighter has an unblemished 7-0-0 record with wins over Junior dos Santos and Tanner Boser.