Curtis Blaydes warns Jon Jones he will end up like Nate Robinson if he steps up to heavyweight
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes warned Jon Jones that he might end up like Nate Robinson if he moves up to the heavyweight division.
Jones, the former long-time UFC light heavyweight champion, vacated the 205-pound title in August of this year to make a run at the heavyweight division.
Since then, Jon Jones has been hitting the weights and putting on muscle to prepare for his switch in weight divisions.
According to a recent Instagram post, Jones says he's already up to 240 pounds and should be ready to make his heavyweight debut in the coming months.
While 'Bones' has been nothing but dominant at light heavyweight, the heavyweight division will be a whole different ballgame. The competition will be bigger, and they will definitely hit harder.
Among those waiting to welcome Jones in the division will be knockout artists such as Alistair Overeem, Derrick Lewis, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
Curtis Blaydes, the number 2-ranked contender in the division, already issued a stern warning to Jon Jones via social media:
Blaydes posted a picture of Jon Jones' bloodied face superimposed on Nate Robinson's unconscious body, with the caption 'Sexual chocolate would be Nate Robinson at heavyweight'.
For context, Jones recently revealed that his original nickname in MMA was 'Sexual Chocolate'.
As for the Nate Robinson reference, the former NBA star recently competed in his first professional boxing bout, and was knocked out - badly - by YouTuber Jake Paul:
Blaydes was scheduled to meet fellow hard-hitting heavyweight Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Vegas 15 last weekend, but had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Who should Jon Jones fight in his heavyweight debut?
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is expected to make his heavyweight debut in 2021, and waiting for him will be a long line of contenders.
While a fighter the caliber of Jones will likely warrant an immediate title shot, it's likely that he gets at least one tune-up fight in first, before eventually challenging reigning titleholder Stipe Miocic.
Given his recent call-out of Jones, number 2-ranked contender Curtis Blaydes would be a good candidate. Blaydes has the knockout power and the wrestling ability to put Jones through the ringer in his heavyweight debut.
If the UFC would like to give Jones someone outside of the top-5 rankings, former champion Junior Dos Santos would be an intriguing matchup.
The most exciting matchup for Jones, however, would be against number 1-ranked contender Francis Ngannou. A Jones-Ngannou matchup for the next shot at the heavyweight championship would be a main event-worthy fight and will cement the winner's status as the rightful top contender.
Who would you like to see Jon Jones face at heavyweight?