[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4x-qW6-NSU?start=163&w=560&h=315]
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ Jon Jones has
a clear path set to the heavyweight title. On Friday, UFC President Dana White spoke with TMZ about a
variety of issues involving major fighters, including ex-champ
Jones (26-1, 1 NC). “Bones” has long-since planned a move up to
heavyweight, and his sights were set on the top of the division
immediately. His goal is to fight the champion of the division,
whether it is Stipe
Miocic or Francis
Ngannou, who will lock horns in March.
“We know what [Jones] wants,” White explained. “He wants the winner
of Stipe and Francis, so that fight’s gotta happen first.”
When asked about whether Jones would get a crack at the winner of
that fight, White did not need to expound on the merits of this
matchup.
“Yup,” White simply said with a laugh.
“It should happen this year,” he continued. “It depends, if that
fight with Stipe and Francis goes off before summer, then we could
have [Jones vs. the winner of Miocic-Ngannou] happen in the
summertime.”
Jones has still never been beaten as a pro across 28 career bouts,
with his lone loss a disqualification to Matt Hamill
due to illegal elbows in 2009. Since then, Jones went on a torrid
run through the 205-pound division to win the belt against Mauricio Rua
and then defend it many times. Along the way, Jones failed multiple
drug tests and struck a pregnant woman with his vehicle to have his
belt stripped more than once.
Jones returned from suspension in 2018 to win the vacant throne
from Alexander
Gustafsson, and defended it thrice against Anthony
Smith, Thiago
Santos and Dominick
Reyes. Of note, his last two bouts against Santos and Reyes
were razor-close decisions. Giving up his belt shortly after the
Reyes victory, Jones plans on making his heavyweight debut later
this year.
UFC 260 will take place on March 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas,
where Miocic will have his long-awaited rematch with Ngannou for
the heavyweight crown. The event will be bolstered by another
championship match, as Alexander
Volkanovski attempts to defend his featherweight strap against
Brian
Ortega. Joining them on the main card is a matchup pitting
ex-welterweight king Tyron
Woodley against the thrilling Vicente
Luque.
