Tag: Jon Jones

Why Jon Jones is still No. 1 pound-for-pound over Islam Makhachev, according to Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith explains why he doesn’t agree with Islam Makhachev being the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] doesn’t agree with lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] being the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) already was No. 1 prior to quickly submitting Renato Moicano in Saturday’s UFC 311 main event. Makhachev accepted to face Moicano on one day’s notice after his original opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, pulled out due to a back injury. His willingness to save the main event convinced UFC CEO Dana White to finally declare him as his No. 1 pound-for-pound over heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], but Smith disagrees.

“I still think it’s Jon Jones,” Smith said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “It’s really the body of work over a long period of time. I know that his inactivity is hurting him, though. The amounts of time that he’s ran out there and done it is damaging to the pound-for-pound conversation.

“But he’s gone through three different generations of fighters and has continued to win. It’s tough. And again, Islam has taken a legitimate loss and Jon Jones hasn’t. … I think you take them all and put them in a room, Jon Jones comes out.”

Worried about Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall?

With his finish over Moicano, Makhachev broke the UFC lightweight record for most title defenses at four. Meanwhile, White guaranteed that the title-unification bout between Jones and interim champ Tom Aspinall will happen this year.

But with White changing his tune on Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) as his No. 1 pound-for-pound, could there be problems in their negotiations?

“That made me nervous, too,” Smith said. “Because I felt very, very confident about it when he initially talked about it. He seemed very sure, and  you can kind of tell when fights are close to being made when fighters stop talking. We haven’t heard a lot from Tom, we haven’t heard a lot from Jon – and we typically don’t hear a whole lot from Jon, but Tom Aspinall’s been fairly quiet.

“So, I was feeling pretty good about it. Then we’ve seen the switch with Islam. I think that there’s a good chance that he’s just really impressed with the mindset and the moves that Islam made during this fight week, taking the fight on short notice, not having any questions. I’m trying not to look too much into it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Overreaction Time: Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili in control? Jiri Prochazka is back? More!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” on the fallout from UFC 311, Jon Jones’ negotiations with the UFC, and more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie reporter Farah Hannoun debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • Now is the PERFECT time for [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to leave the UFC lightweight division.
  • [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] is primed to remain UFC bantamweight champion for all of 2025.
  • [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] has new life as a UFC title contender, but it’s over for [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag].
  • If the UFC signs only one of these guys, it should be [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] over [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].
  • There’s no way the UFC pays [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall.
  • [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]’s chances of being UFC champion are still alive.

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Henry Cejudo says UFC champ Jon Jones ‘too smart’ for Tom Aspinall: ‘It will be easy money’

Henry Cejudo is backing UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a potential fight against Tom Aspinall.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] is backing UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in a potential fight against [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

UFC CEO Dana White guaranteed that Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) will fight interim champ Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in a title-unification bout in 2025. Jones notched his first title defense with a third-round TKO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, whereas Aspinall defended his interim title with a first-round TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

If the pair do end up fighting, Cejudo thinks Jones’ fight IQ will be too much for Aspinall.

“Heavyweight, I’m going Jon Jones, bro,” Cejudo said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “I watched a little bit of Tom Aspinall yesterday. He’s got lateral movements – really, really good. But Jones is just too smart, bro.

“Jones just needs to press him, stay in the middle, don’t react, find his wrestling. I think it will be easy money. I think he’s still going to get paid that $30 million.”

UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan said he heard that Jones is asking for $30 million to face Aspinall, but later walked back his comments after Dana White reached out to him to debunk the rumor.

Jones, however, is asking to be paid handsomely to face Aspinall, previously reiterating that he doesn’t think Aspinall is a fight that adds to his legacy.

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Joe Rogan retracts ‘bullsh*t’: ‘I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor’ about Jon Jones

Joe Rogan walked back what he says is a falsehood from his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it’s not factual.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] on Thursday walked back what he now says was a falsehood he reported on his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it was not factual.

On his his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan recently said heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is rumored to be seeking $30 million to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall, “and the UFC is going to pay it, hopefully. I hope they pay it.”

Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has been dismissive of Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after he finished Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

But after Rogan went public with the $30 million number he now says was merely a rumor, it caused enough of a ripple effect that UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] reached out to Rogan to refute the claim.

“I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall. And I did hear that rumor. And I did hear that the UFC said yes,” Rogan said on his latest podcast. “But that’s not true. Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bullsh*t. So I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor. … We did that podcast two weeks ago; I don’t remember who told me that.”

In the wake of admitting to reporting the rumor and retracting it, Rogan now said he thinks the MMA collective – the UFC brass, Aspinall’s side, the media, presumably – should give Jones space to decide what he wants his next move to be, rather than speculating and, perhaps, putting pressure on him to make a move.

“Apparently Jon is thinking about retiring,” Rogan said. “… He should think about it. Give the man all the time he wants. He can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones – he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone. If he decides one day to come back and he comes back and he wants to fight Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title … The question is, how long are you allowed to hold onto that title before they start having that conversation?”

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Daniel Cormier doubts UFC pays Jon Jones $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall

Daniel Cormier thinks UFC champ Jon Jones making $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall would be a stretch.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] making $30 million to fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] would be a stretch.

UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan said he heard that Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) is asking for $30 million to take on interim champ Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in a title-unification bout that Dana White guarantees happens in 2025.

Cormier, a former UFC dual-champion and two-time opponent of Jones, headlined plenty of big pay-per-view events during his career. He shared insight on his paydays as champion and what UFC’s negotiations with Jones could look like.

“I’ll tell you guys, as a person who has been involved in big fights, a person who has sold pay-per-views, a person who at his time was at the top of the pay scale in the UFC as the heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, $30 million was literally a world away from anything we were making,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.

“I remember when I got paid in New York, I got a big bump to take a fight on three weeks’ notice, which ultimately became my salary, and people were astounded with the number. But I will tell you it was a fraction of what that number that he’s asking for is. It was nowhere near that. But I’ve heard now rumors that the higher-end guys are making more. The Israel Adesanya, the Jon Jones, the Stipe Miocic. I heard that Stipe Miocic made big money for the last fight.”

Looking at Jones’ past pay-per-view and gate numbers, Cormier thinks $30 million isn’t necessarily an outlandish ask – although he doesn’t see him getting paid exactly that number.

“Rogan thinks that the UFC will pay the $30 million to get Jon Jones in there with Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “I’m not sure he gets to $30 (million), but if you ask for 30 and you end up with 20 or you get 15, that’s a win for Jon Jones on his way out.”

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Ex-UFC champ Cain Velasquez explains why he doesn’t see Tom Aspinall beating Jon Jones

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez gives his prediction on a potential fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Many see [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] as the guy to beat [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in MMA. However, a man who knows a thing or two about being “The Baddest Man on the Planet” thinks otherwise.

[autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag], former UFC heavyweight champion, doesn’t see Jones losing to Aspinall should they meet in a UFC heavyweight title unification bout this year. Velasquez has seen some things in the Englishman’s game, and he’s sure Jones has seen them, too.

“No, I don’t think he does,” Velasquez told Ariel Helwani when asked if he thinks Aspinall would beat Jones. “Me just watching him, I kind of see his pattern a little bit in his striking, the way he comes in and strikes. I think Jon sees it too.

“Again, Jon studies, man. He does his homework, you know. He’s a master at this. He analyzes things and studies things over and over again. I think just for that reason, he’s going to know what to do. I don’t think he beats Jon, no.”

There’s nothing official in regard to a potential heavyweight clash between Jones and Aspinall. However, in December, UFC CEO Dana White said he’d 100 percent guarantee the fight would happen in 2025. Jones holds the UFC heavyweight title, and Aspinall is the interim. Both men have defended their belts once.

It’s uncertain if the bout will come to fruition or if Jones will retire. But if the fight does happen, Velasquez think Jones will dissect him and beat him, just as he has everybody else he’s fought.

“Everybody has a fight pattern and he has a fight pattern,” Velasquez said. “Some disguise it better than others. … (Aspinall) does have a pattern that’s somewhat easier to find, when he comes in and strikes. So a lot of things come with that, disguising your pattern, throwing fakes here and there, but when he comes in and attacks, he attacks. It’s 100 percent full go. He comes in, glides in, lunges in, and does his attack. Not that is not effective, it is. He’s done great things with it, look at where he’s at now. But I think the type of guy that Jon Jones is, I think he studies him and beats him because of that.”

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Jon Jones ducking Tom Aspinall? Actually just a ‘stroke of genius,’ says Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping praises UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ negotiation tactics for a potential Tom Aspinall fight.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] praises UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ negotiation tactics before he potentially fights [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Jones has been dismissive of interim champ Aspinall and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after finishing Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

Bisping thinks Jones’ (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) plan is coming to fruition. He asked for “f*ck you money” to fight Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), and he may just get that.

“As we know, Jon Jones kind of shied away from fighting Tom Aspinall leading up to the Stipe fight, which was an absolute stroke of genius in terms of marketing, because it drove the demand through the roof, sky high, made it the fight that everybody wants to see,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Well, guess what? The man is going to get paid properly more than likely. That’s the rumor.”

Jones seeking how much to fight Aspinall?

That rumor stemmed from UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan, who revealed the number that he heard Jones is asking for.

“I think its’s going to be Aspinall. I think they’re trying to come to some sort of an agreement,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “The rumor is that he wants $30 million, and the UFC is going to pay it hopefully. I hope they pay it.”

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Chael Sonnen shares his boldest UFC prediction for 2025

Chael Sonnen’s boldest prediction for 2025 involves UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag]’s boldest prediction for 2025 involves UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].

Jones defended his heavyweight title with a third-round finish of Stipe Miocic this past November in the UFC 309 headliner. Jones expressed interested in fighting light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and said he’d need “f*ck you money” to consider a title-unification bout with interim champ Tom Aspinall.

UFC CEO Dana White guaranteed that Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) fights Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in 2025, and if the matchup materializes, Sonnen says it’ll be the final time “Bones” makes the walk.

“If you wanted my boldest prediction of 2025, I’m actually very confident in the prediction, and that is that Jon Jones retires,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier. “I will tell you that Jon Jones is going to fight Tom Aspinall. I will tell you Jon’s going to do a lot better with Tom than some people are giving him credit for, but that’s tomorrow’s discussion. When that fight is done, win or lose, I do believe it will be Jon’s final appearance.

“He’s been looking for a way out. He’s been kind of talking to the fans and seeing what do I need to do before I go. He thought Stipe might be that door out, but that got delayed a little bit. It allowed an emersion of Tom while bringing down Ngannou and Sergei Pavlovich talk. I think Jon does have a pretty clear deal with the audience right now that there’s only one left for me, and I think that’s going to be Tom, and I do think that will be a goodbye for Jones.”

In a recent interview, Jones revealed that money is a motivator in his desire to fight. He said he’s targeting one or two more fights, with the goal of making as much money as possible.

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Javier Mendez explains why Islam Makhachev is No. 1 pound-for-pound best, not Jon Jones

For Javier Mendez, there’s little debate on who’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter today.

There were several storylines that remained consistent throughout 2024 with one of the biggest being the debate of who is the No. 1 pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA today.

The biggest instigator of that discussion was none other than UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], who insisted [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] was the only choice for the debate and didn’t entertain the possibility of other UFC champions, including [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] – who many believe is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world today.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], Makhachev’s trainer, thinks there shouldn’t be much of a debate, even if in reality it’s a discussion that will carry over for the majority of 2025.

“This is what I always say: How many fights does Jon Jones have in the last four years? Tell me. How many?” Mendez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “If you said six or seven, OK. But how many does he have? Two in four years.

“No, you need to fight more than that (for pound-for-pound best). If Islam were to do the same, I’d put Jon Jones at No. 1 – but he hasn’t fought (as much). If he had been active, then it’s a different conversation – but he’s barely fought. That why, that reason alone, I put Islam at No. 1.”

For Mendez, it’s also not only the activity level. Yes, Jones has only fought twice since 2021, while Makhachev has fought eight times. It’s also the level of competition.

“Islam’s fights have always been against No. 1,” Mendez said. “Alexander Volkanovski was the best featherweight in the world and pound-for-pound, and he fought him, and everyone he’s fought has been very tough. The styles of all those guys were very good.

“Jon Jones fought Miocic, who was (42), and hadn’t fought in like four years, so he wasn’t the same. Jon Jones is supreme. He’s an excellent talent and has never lost in his whole life. It’s tough to critique him, because he’s fought everyone, but he just hasn’t fought much in the last four years.”

For Mendez, there’s no debate. He thinks that people misunderstand the point of the discussion, which is why there’s a debate triggered. He respects Jones and sees him as the greatest fighter of all time, which is a different label than the pound-for-pound best.

“The pound-for-pound conversation is now,” Mendez said. “I’m not going around saying that Islam is the greatest of all time. I’m just saying he’s the pound-for-pound best right now. That’s all. I’m not saying anything else.”

Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) returns to the octagon on Jan. 18 in the main event of UFC 311, which goes down in Los Angeles, Calif. Makhachev defends his lightweight title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC).

The two fought back in April 2019. It was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, which he took on short notice. The fight ended up going all 15 minutes, with Tsarukyan coming up short in a unanimous decision, but putting on an admirable effort.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Watch UFC champ Jon Jones do the nearly impossible at a Knicks game

The oddsmakers will set a line for almost anything if given a chance, and the odds for what Jones did would have been astronomical.

The oddsmakers will set a line for almost anything if given a chance.

So let’s say hypothetically they were asked to give odds for UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] on the basketball court at Madison Square Garden. He gets four shots from 3-point range, and all he has to do is hit … SOMETHING … something other than the floor.

No pressure for nothing but net – but at least make the net MOVE, right? Graze the rim? Thud off the backboard? ANYTHING. Just hit something.

What would the odds have been for Jones to hit something? -10,000, perhaps? a +6000 type of comeback for him to shoot four airballs? It would’ve been crazy to think in four shots, he’d really come not very close.

But that’s exactly what happened (H/T Bleacher Report). Four shots before a Knicks game, four airballs. And it’s caught on film. Jones was at the Knicks-Utah Jazz game on New Year’s Day and hung out a little with Knicks guard Josh Hart – who even gently ribbed him to at least hit the rim.

 

Watch on TikTok

Jones, considered by many to be the best fighter in the world and best of all time, also is, by default, considered one of the world’s best athletes. But apparently fighting prowess does absolutely nothing when it comes to the fairly simple act of shooting a basketball. Both Jones’ brothers are longtime NFL players.

True, tell the guy he sucks at basketball at your own peril if you’re about to fight him. But that said, ummm … don’t quit your day job?