When Jon Jones talks about his future in the UFC, it’s clear he’s got one thing in mind: his legacy. And if he does decide to stick around after UFC 309, he’s already looking past the interim heavyweight champ, Tom Aspinall, and instead eyeing a massive showdown with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira.
Here’s how it all came about. After Jones got injured before UFC 295, the UFC scrambled to keep the card interesting, setting up a bout between Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich for an interim title. Aspinall won with a knockout, and now many fans, along with UFC president Dana White, think the next logical step is for Jones to unify the titles with Aspinall. But Jones? He’s got a different view.
“I don’t think there should’ve been an interim title in the first place,” Jones said during an interview with Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter. “The only reason they made it an interim fight was because I got hurt. Honestly, they could’ve just made it a main event without calling it a title fight. Now you’ve got people all mixed up over something that wasn’t necessary.”
Jon Jones vs. Pereira: The Legacy Fight
So why Pereira and not Aspinall? For Jones, it’s about legacy. Pereira, after all, is no small fry—he’s knocked out Israel Adesanya, won the middleweight belt, and moved up to claim light heavyweight gold, all while maintaining an undefeated title streak in his new division. To Jones, a fight with Pereira is a chance to prove something bigger, and he’d even be willing to vacate his heavyweight title if it meant making that fight happen.
“It’d be awesome to fight [Pereira] for the heavyweight belt, but honestly, I’d also give up the title to do it,” Jones admitted. “I left the light heavyweight belt behind, and I’d be good walking away from this one too, on my own terms, happy, and still making money. I like where I am right now.”
The BMF Title Twist
And if you thought Jones was done with surprises, he had one more idea: a BMF title fight against Pereira.
“How cool would it be if we fought for the BMF belt?” Jones said with a grin. “We both have two belts from two weight classes. If we met in the octagon, we’d both be fighting for a third, the BMF. That’d be one for the books!”
With UFC 309 around the corner and his title defense against Miocic just days away, Jones seems laser-focused on securing his place in the history books. Whether it’s Aspinall or Pereira, he’s making it clear he’ll do it his way.
Danreadnews: Bringing you the latest headlines and additional!