Jon Jones' huge paycheck requires opponents that bring eyes, Curtis Blaydes and Ciryl Gane not ideal, says Daniel Cormier
MMA fans have been waiting for former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' heavyweight debut for over two years at this point. When he finally makes the walk as a heavyweight, 'Bones' is expected to take on one of the top stars in the division.
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier is convinced that the only way the promotion can entice Jones to return to the octagon is if the event is guaranteed to generate huge pay-per-view sales.
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Cormier thinks Jones should face either current champion Francis Ngannou or former kingpin Stipe Miocic to enable the fight to be a pay-per-view blockbuster. Speaking on the subject on his YouTube channel, 'DC' said:
"Jon Jones is finally set to make his UFC [heavyweight] debut and I imagine it has to be a massive fight because one thing I [know] about Jon Jones, he makes a ton of money. And to get him in the octagon, he has to have an opponent that will allow for him to make the money that makes sense at the gate and on the pay-per-view side... Jon Jones will have to stand against Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic [for the event to do good numbers]."
The former two-division champion added that top contenders like Ciryl Gane or Curtis Blaydes were not big enough pay-per-view stars to make the event do the maximum business:
"I don't even know if Ciryl Gane is a big enough name. So the idea that it could be Curtis Blaydes, I don't think it makes sense at all... You need the B side, you need the other guy to bring the eyes."
Watch Cormier talk about Jones below:
Actor Michael Jai White says Jon Jones is going to run through the heavyweight division
Most MMA fans would be quite familiar with American actor and martial artist Michael Jai White. Over his career, Jai White has made quite a few popular martial arts action films, such as 'Undisputed' and 'Never Back Down'.
The 55-year-old is close friends with Jon Jones and has even sparred with the legendary UFC fighter in the past.
In a recent interview with Vlad TV, the actor opined that the former light heavyweight champion is going to easily run through the heavyweight division. Jai White elaborated, saying the New Yorker's elite wrestling is going to present problems for the heavyweights:
"Jon, I think he'll run through that division pretty easily. I mean his wrestling skillset, I don't know if there is many people in the heavyweight ranks that can match that... If he wraps somebody up they got problems."
Watch Michael Jai White talk about Jones below: