"There's been rumors that... he don't got a strong chin" - Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson weighs in on Jon Jones' future in heavyweight division
Jon Jones' former opponent, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, recently interacted with TMZ Sports and discussed the erstwhile UFC light heavyweight kingpin's move to the heavyweight division.
Jackson was asked if he had any advice for his former foe, to which 'Rampage' humbly replied that 'Bones' is a better fighter than him and there's nothing he can guide Jones about. When questioned further about his experience with heavy hitters, Jackson replied:
"I don't know about Jon Jones' chin. There's been rumors that... he don't got a strong chin. The heavyweights, man, they hit harder but I feel like Jones is a smart fighter and it was really hard for me to hit him..."
'Rampage' continued and stated that if Jones were to get clipped by someone with fierce knockout power like Francis Ngannou, it could spell disaster for him. Noting that it's been a while since Jon Jones fought inside the octagon, Jackson believes the smart thing to do would be to have a warm-up fight before taking on the killers of the division:
"I would say [for] his first heavyweight fight, he should do a warm-up. He shouldn't go in there with the big boys. I think he should do a warm-up, maybe fight someone at like 230 [lbs], you don't want to be fighting at about 265 [lbs]..."
Watch the full interview below:
Jon Jones' coach explains the danger of potential Francis Ngannou bout
'Bones' cemented his legacy as arguably the best mixed martial artist to ever grace the octagon while fighting out of the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, following his last run-in with the law, the gym temporarily cut ties with the former 205-pound king of the UFC.
Jon Jones tweeted about losing the support of one of his “longtime coaches” after a “heartbreaking conversation.”
Per a statement from Jackson Wink MMA’s spokesperson, Jones is “temporarily suspended” from the gym. https://t.co/7qJ6sDS4n7
In a recent interview with James Lynch, Jones' striking coach at Jackson Wink, Brandon Gibson, spoke about a potential fight between 'Bones' and current heavyweight king Francis Ngannou. 'The Predator' has always been known for his explosive knockout power but showed improvements in his overall game when he fought Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Explaining the threat the Cameroonian champion possesses for Jon Jones, Gibson said:
"Francis' power speaks for itself. He's showing that he's becoming a much more well-rounded fighter. His fight against [Ciryl] Gane shows that. His ability to go five rounds, his ability to use his wrestling, his clinch game, and his kicks, and his growth that we've seen out of his time in Xtreme Couture. Then he always has that X-Factor power that is hard to prepare for, you cannot make any mistakes against Francis."
Watch the video below: