Quote: I Don’t See An Easy Path For Jon Jones In Heavyweight Division

One top-ranked UFC welterweight has a bad feeling about Jon Jones’ move to heavyweight.

Jones vacated the UFC Light Heavyweight Title in 2020, marking the end of an era. “Bones” has long been considered to be MMA’s greatest 205-pounder by experts and fans. He made the decision to move up to the heavyweight division and now the question remains, when will he make his debut in the weight class?

Regardless of the answer, Gilbert Burns thinks things could go south for Jones at heavyweight. “Durinho” explained why on his YouTube channel (h/t Middle Easy).

“Jon Jones at heavyweight — me? I don’t like that so much. When you have a guy like Francis Ngannou in the heavyweight division, I don’t know. I don’t see an easy path for Jon Jones in the heavyweight division. Or he has to fight Stipe if he Stipe beats Ngannou, Stipe is fighting Jon Jones. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think Ngannou is going to defeat Stipe and Ngannou will fight Jon Jones. And I don’t like that fight.

“… I don’t like the what if but what if Jon Jones goes against Francis Ngannou and he’s [Ngannou] going to knock him out badly. How about that? What is Jon Jones going to do? First, when you’re undefeated and you lose, it’s very tough. … If you’re champion, champion, undefeated, undisputed and then you lose badly, I don’t know how that’s going to affect you right here [pointing to the head]. I don’t know about Jon Jones’ future. I think he still has a couple of guys to beat at 205. My opinion — he should fight Adesanya. Stay at 205, beat Jan Blachowicz, beat Santos again, another guy.”

Jones is likely to meet the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou II sometime in 2021. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani has reported that the UFC wants to book the rematch between Miocic and Ngannou in March.