UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones makes his long-awaited return to active competition at UFC 309 this weekend. He meets Stipe Miocic at the pay-per-view (PPV) top bill offering from Madison Square Garden. The central point about his maiden 265-pound defense isn’t about Miocic anymore but that he is stalling unification or might even retire after it. Now, he offers up some relief, with Alex Pereira in mind.
Last week, Jones teased a “super” fight with current UFC 205-pound roost-ruler and double-division champ, Alex Pereira. His stalling the ebb of the heavyweight division for a meager defense and then superfights is a bad notion. A question posed itself: if he’d be willing to relinquish his championship to take that mega-fight. In a weird twist, “Bones” is open to adding another (different) title belt to his mantle.
It’d be cool to fight over the Heavyweight championship, but I would also willingly give up the Heavyweight championship, … walked away from the Light Heavyweight championship I had; I’d love to walk away from this one as well, on top, on my terms, good-headed, making lots of money. Fighting Pereira for the BMF belt, that’d be cool…We both have two belts in two weight classes. And the night we fight, we’d be both fighting for our third belt, which would be the BMF.
Jon Jones in pre-fight media availability round with @aaronbronsteter for Sportsnet
While Jones’ ballot inactivity kind of excludes him from being a BMF nowadays, it does not mean much. Those making their sophomore outings have made it to title listings. Those ranking #8 in the chain have made it to championships (yes, Stipe Miocic too). Jones said both of them have tried dual-division dips. With where they currently stand, a pay-per-view (PPV) spotlight offering for a third belt with Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira will tear the roof.
Jon Jones clarifies that the heavyweight title would not necessarily have to be at stake if he were to fight Alex Pereira and he has another belt in mind.
Full interview with the 🐐 coming soon… pic.twitter.com/R43YlfB9Ze
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) November 11, 2024
Props to Jones for saying he’ll stop holding the heavyweight division hostage after UFC 309. All of the MMA clique knows that interim heavyweight Tom Aspinall will be chomping at bits for his first legitimate opportunity at the undisputed status. The Brit has had a long banter going on with Jones for it. However, “Bones” says stamping him with the interim status was premature.
Champion Jon Jones pitches on interim status in his absence
The scope of the UFC 309 pay-per-view (PPV) main event vs. Stipe Miocic has been all but about the latter at this point. More than the 42-year-old returning, it’s more about Jones maintaining he won’t fight interim champ Aspinall. Despite his many efforts to get Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic have refused to fight anyone but each other.
Aspinall won the interim gold with a brutal first-round knockout against Sergei Pavlovich when Jones was on the bench due to a pectoral tear. This was at the UFC 295 PPV, right around a year ago. Ever since, there has been a rift with the interim champ wanting a more definite status. “Bones” thinks the interim lingo shouldn’t have been a thing at UFC 295.
Well, the interim championship shouldn’t have been there in the first place, …The only reason there was an interim championship fight was because I got hurt, and they needed to keep the importance of that Madison Square Garden event, but Sergei and Aspinall shouldn’t have been fighting for an interim title. They should have just been a replacement fight, just a main event.
Jon Jones in pre-fight media availability round with @aaronbronsteter for Sportsnet
The ‘disputed’ undisputed heavyweight champ says the idea of an interim belt and billing Aspinall for it was premature and confused people. Confused as in, hoisting Aspinall to his G.O.A.T. standards. Jones has even said that Aspinall’s 9-fight record does not intrigue him well enough to even spoof any attention. However, now that he’s offering up some relief, things might change.
