Jon Jones might catch a lot of heat for nitpicking his legacy. Even so, he remains a G.O.A.T. candidate for a reason. He has been through much of the formative years of the promotion. He and Alex Pereira [36] are currently the oldest titleholders on the active roster. Speaking of ‘Poatan,’ much was made of shamanic rituals for his wins before UFC 303; ‘Bones’ agrees.
Doubting Alex Pereira or crediting his wins only to ancestral rituals does not age well for the course. The Brazilian knockout artist easily destroyed two former champions recently. The victory over Jiri Prochazka came via a vicious head kick at UFC 303. Noticing all the conversation about Pereira’s Shamanic magic accusation, Jon Jones makes a compelling case for magic being real.
There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always will be undefeated. Every knee shall bow.
Jon Jones via X (@JonnyBones)
In no way is this a disregard for Pereira’s strength and value. Fans have lately been privy to Jones going scorched earth, poking at the legacy of his peers. But on Pereira, he actually finds such a mega fight intriguing. In the tail-end of his performative output, the Team Jackson’s MMA Acoma fighter is chasing high-value legacy fights. It wouldn’t get more high-value than ‘Poatan.’
There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) July 3, 2024
Last year at MSG, Alex Pereira wore a headdress and face paint to the weigh-ins and won the UFC middleweight title the next day.
One year later, Pereira aims to claim another title at #UFC295 🏹 pic.twitter.com/wAzh39uZlW
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 10, 2023
As a matter of fact, though, there might be some truth to it all. Pereira is 4-0 against Israel Adesanya, Jamahal Hill, and Prochazka, where he has used his Pataxó Brazilian War paint and headgear. Conversely, he lost to ‘Stylebender’ and fought a razor-thin split decision with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 when he didn’t. “Spirit channeling” or not, there’s no denying Pereira’s rise for now.
UFC champ Jon Jones unsure of retiring. Should ‘Poatan’ be next?
Will UFC champ Jon Jones stay around long enough to fight Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira? That’s the question boggling many MMA fans, and his latest comments look promising. Other than a select few like Aljamain Sterling, ‘Bones’ is one of the few fighters who maintain a healthy, open dialogue with fans.
Could Alex Pereira get his wish to fight at heavyweight soon? (Source: complex.com/X/UFC.go.com)On Monday, he took to X to answer fans’ queries about retiring after his expected maiden defense against Stipe Miocic in November. Consequently, here’s what he had to say on the matter:
Honestly, it’s hard to say right now, I’m gonna base a lot of that on my next performance. The options are looking cr*zy right now.
Jon Jones via X (@JonnyBones)
Honestly, it’s hard to say right now, I’m gonna base a lot of that on my next performance. The options are looking crazy right now. https://t.co/3skkYSY7Aj
— BONY (@JonnyBones) July 1, 2024
These come on the heels of Saturday’s UFC 303, where Alex Pereira snagged a second title defense with a second-round KO. Additionally, both times, the fighter expressed his wish to move up to heavyweight. Jones has been rehabbing from a torn pectoral and is ready to return for his maiden defense. While he has shied away from title re-unification, brand value matches like Pereira might interest him.
More to it, Jones is targeting a return at UFC 309’s pay-per-view headliner, November 9, typically at the Madison Square Garden Arena. Pereira is a strong draw at MSG; a match between them could have quite the implications. However, it remains to be seen if top brass would go along with such a notion at the moment when there are enough contenders in both divisions.
