8 Dream Fights For Jon Jones As A UFC Heavyweight
Imagine if these fights happen...
Not many fighters have reached the heights of Jon 'Bones' Jones. Clearly one of the greatest to have ever entered the Octagon, the Rochester-born mixed martial artist has racked up an MMA record about as impressive as humanly possible, although by his sheer athleticism, we're not sure he even is human.
The Former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion moves up after amassing a 26-1 record in the exciting division, but in the mind of most he's unbeaten as a professional (screw your disqualification, Steve Mazzagatti!). Aside from the questionable blemish on his record, Jones has beaten everyone he's stood opposite inside the cage, including the likes of Daniel Cormier, Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort (take a breath), Chael Sonnen and Alexander Gustafsson, I would go on if we didn't have a list to get to...
Jones' transition above 205 lbs comes at an exciting time in the division, which features a champion as impressive as they come in Stipe Miocic, the knockout tear of Francis Ngannou, the rising Curtis Blaydes and his razor elbows, and powerful newcomers like Jairzinho Rozenstruik. With mouth-watering fantasy fights with stars of old like Cain Velasquez, Bones' journey to becoming the 'Baddest Man on the Planet' could be filled with bouts MMA fans have only previously been able to fantasize about.
With that in mind, in this list, we look at eight dream fights for the legendary Jon Jones as a heavyweight. Fingers crossed UFC's matchmakers deliver us the goods. We believe in you, Dana...
8. Francis Ngannou
Power, a bit of power, some added power, topped with a sprinkling of power...
If there was one man you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley... well it probably wouldn't be Francis Ngannou because he actually seems like a super nice guy, but if there's one location where he tops the list of individuals to avoid, it's certainly the Octagon. For those who saw his fight with Jairzinho Rozenstruik, you'd have seen the way he stared at his opponent prior to the two walkouts, and to say he's a scary guy when he's focused on, you know, breaking someone's face, would be an understatement.
The absolute tear the Cameroonian-French heavyweight has been on since 2018 has left a path as destructive as a pair of fists are capable of leaving. To summarise it, four first-round knockouts, three Performance of the Night bonuses, an average of less than a minute in the Octagon and multiple unconscious fighters - not a bad way to bounce back from back-to-back decision losses is it?
The idea of a matchup between the sheer power of Ngannou and the defence, movement and striking of Jon Jones is straight out of our wildest MMA imaginations. The bout brings so many questions: can Ngannou be the first to finish Jones? Can Bones' (so far granite) chin hold up against the most powerful man in the UFC? Can Ngannou stand toe-to-toe with Jones for five-rounds given his previous decision losses? Fights don't come more mouth-watering than this dream combination.
Realistically, it seems Ngannou will get the the next shot at Stipe Miocic's title, but whether after a win for 'The Predator' or a shot at Jones should he become champion first, it seems their paths will meet eventually and we can't wait!