Jon Jones detailed his future with the UFC.
Before making his heavyweight debut, ‘Bones’ wanted to restructure his contract to ensure he was paid what he was worth. After months of negotiations, the former UFC welterweight champion settled with the promotion, leading to his upcoming fight against Cyril Gane being booked.
After announcing his new partnership with Kanpai Pandas, Jones joined the Twitter space with NFT and talked about his new deal saying:
“Oh yes, it sure is. I had eight more fights until the end of my contract, I just wasn’t happy with my percentages. We just got a raise and pretty much picked up where we left off with my commitment to the UFC. I hope I can make it through all eight fights, that’s a lot of fighting at 35 years old. We’ll see.”
Jon Jones rarely gives interviews these days, but his recently announced partnership with Kanpai Pandas seems to have made it easier for him to open up. ‘Bones’ was asked who would be next if he beats Gane at UFC 285. The 35-year-old heavyweight responded by saying:
“I had my eye on Stipo Miočić. I think it just means the most. There’s a lot of guys out there, but for me personally, for my legacy, to beat the greatest heavyweight of all time, that just means the most to me… As far as how soon, I hope I come out of this fight with no serious injuries, but I’d like to get [back] out as soon as possible. My goal is two to three fights, depending on how it looks.”
Before he can focus on what’s next, Jones faces a tough test. ‘Bones’ has yet to fight in the heavyweight division, and he is jumping into deep waters against the former interim champion. Gane is riding high after a third-round knockout of Tai Tuivasa and believes his heavyweight experience will pay off at UFC 285.
Watch Jon Jones announce his new partnership below:
Jon Jones details the challenges of transforming his heavyweight body
Love him or hate him, Jon Jones made the right decision by taking the time to prepare for the heavyweight division. He last fought in February 2020 and has spent the last three years transforming his body. During the same space on Twitter, Jones had this to say about his preparations for the new division:
“One of the hardest things was not being able to get out of shape while still trying to pack on 40 pounds. I think when fans see me, they’ll be surprised that I still look a lot like I did before — [although] my shoulders are a lot wider, I’ve got a fucking load of butt, unfortunately – but I’m just trying to keep that shape and in the right way.”
Jon Jones has a lot of questions to answer on March 4th. The 35-year-old must prove that he is still as dangerous in the heavyweight division, especially after a long break. With that said, fans and analysts alike cannot forget that ‘Bones’ is arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
If he succeeds in defeating Cyril Gane, the former UFC light heavyweight champion would add another achievement to his storied career.