Dana White says "no" to potential Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira fight
UFC president Dana White ultimately shuts down the potential of a super-fight between UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones. Conversations of this mega-battle started circulating after Pereira knocked out Jiri Prochazka to defend his 205-pound belt at UFC 303 last June.
In a guest appearance at the Pat McAfee Show, White squashed a lot of MMA fans' dreams of this fight ever coming to fruition. The out-spoken UFC president said plainly and clearly:
"No."
When asked about the pound-for-pound debate involving Jones, Pereira, and other top-level UFC fighters, White said (via Championship Rounds):
"Well everybody in the internet is stupid. Anybody who thinks Jon Jones isn't the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world should never be discussing fighting ever."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
Dana White once considered a Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira fight but didn't give 'Poatan' many chances
Last month, Dana White was much more accommodating of the prospect of a Jon Jones-Alex Pereira fight. Still, his firm belief that no other fighter is better than 'Bones' today stood firm.
In a podcast guesting with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, White addressed the issue (via Happy Punch):
"It's a possibility. I mean, Rogan is pushing me right now to try to make that fight. It's just, guys, let me explain something to you... I consider Jon Jones the greatest combat fighter of all time. Jon Jones is the nastiest dude ever in history. Jon's got a dark side to him, man... Jon Jones is a killer."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
Though Jones only fought once in the last four years while Pereira has fought 10 times, one cannot deny the fact that the latter has earned his spot atop the pound-for-pound list in the past decade. White has a point. Jones has fought and dispatched at least three generations of fighters and world champions - without much of a dent on his octagon resume.