"This is the same guy that lost to Glover" - Malki Kawa sides with Jon Jones following Jan Blachowicz's bold knockout claims
MMA manager Malki Kawa has sided with Jon Jones in response to Jan Blachowicz’s claims of being capable of knocking out 'Bones'. First Round Management’s Kawa served as Jones’ manager for more than a decade.
In April 2021, First Round Management posted a tweet whereby they announced that their 11-year journey with Jones had come to an end.
Jones, on his part, confirmed the same. Additionally, ‘Bones’ revealed that he’s hired world-renowned boxing promoter Richard Schaefer as his advisor and representative.
While Kawa no longer manages Jones, he’s consistently maintained that he still has tremendous respect for the MMA legend.
On that note, Kawa has now hit back at Jones’ longtime rival, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, after the latter recently claimed that he’d KO Jones.
During a fan Q&A session after the UFC 275 weigh-ins in Singapore, Blachowicz was asked for his opinion on how a fight between him and Jones would play out. Blachowicz responded by stating:
“I will knock him [Jon Jones] out. First round.”
Check out Blachowicz's comments at the 29:39-minute mark in the video below:
Following this, Kawa jibed at Blachowicz by alluding to the fact that the Polish light heavyweight was beaten by Glover Teixeira via second-round submission in their title matchup last October.
Kawa also highlighted that Jones dominated Teixeira in their fight, emerging victorious via unanimous decision in their light heavyweight title clash in 2014. Kawa tweeted:
“Wait, this is the same guy that lost to glover, that jon absolutely… ah never mind”
youtu.be/xf50ICgctJg
Wait, this is the same guy that lost to glover, that jon absolutely… ah never mind twitter.com/mmafighting/st…
Chael Sonnen names the toughest opponent for Jon Jones in the heavyweight division
UFC megastar Jon 'Bones' Jones last competed in February 2020 and defended his UFC light heavyweight title via unanimous decision against Dominick Reyes. ‘Bones’ vacated his title in August 2020, asserting that he'll soon make his heavyweight debut.
With UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on an injury hiatus till 2023, it’s been speculated that Jones could face former champion Stipe Miocic for the interim UFC heavyweight title this year.
However, the Jones-Miocic matchup hasn’t been officially finalized yet. In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen addressed this and noted that Miocic is the best active UFC heavyweight.
Nevertheless, Sonnen claimed that the No. 4-ranked Curtis Blaydes is the toughest matchup for Jones at heavyweight.
"The hardest fight in the heavyweight division right now for Jon Jones is Curtis Blaydes. I'm not ready to word that differently. I'm not ready to tell you guys that absent Jon Jones, the best heavyweight out there is Curtis Blaydes. I'm not ready to do that but I'm d*mn close. I still believe it's Stipe."