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Jon Jones discusses eventual move to heavyweight, plans to weigh 240 pounds

2K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  Homeboy 
#1 ·
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones plans to move to heavyweight eventually, and when he does the move will be permanent, with his focus entirely on the division.

Jon Jones has conquered almost every possible challenge at light heavyweight during his time in the UFC. While fights with Dan Henderson and Alexander Gustafsson remain intriguing (and new) challenges, first we have to wait for the completely undeserving challenge from Chael Sonnen following the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Despite clearly having enough new fights to get him through 2013 and beyond, much focus is on Jones in either a superfight with Anderson Silva or a move up in weight to heavyweight.

The potential move up in weight is something that Jones discussed during his Metro PCS fan chat ahead of this past weekend's UFC on Fox 5 card (via MMA Mania):

I definitely have goals to compete at heavyweight and obviously go for the championship," Jones said in the chat last Saturday evening. "But it's a ways away. Right now I'm cutting weight more efficiently, trying to eat smarter and do things better and the weight cuts are getting easier so, heavyweight might be a ways away."

...

"Fighting Cain would be a great honor in the future," Jones said. "I'm here to fight the best guys and I would love to fight Cain in the future. Not because I don't like him or anything I think he's an awesome guy, but, you know, the competition. That's why I'm here. "


Jon made it clear that he has no designs to compete in both light heavyweight and heavyweight simultaneously, stating that the move to heavyweight would be permanent:

"When I move up to heavyweight I definitely won't be trying to hang on to two belts at the same time," he said. "I'll be focused, you know, strictly on heavyweight."

...

"When I compete at heavyweight I plan on weighing like 240 and I really won't want to get much bigger than that." Jones said in the chat. "I think speed and agility would give me an advantage being smaller than those guys, so."


The thought of Jones vs. Velasquez is exciting, regardless of if Cain manages to beat Junior dos Santos later this month and regain the UFC heavyweight championship. It's an outstanding stylistic match-up.

It's good to see that Jones has his head on straight about the situation. He's still a young man with plenty of time ahead of him in the sport. He's got fights left at 205 so, despite MMA fan impatience, he doesn't need to rush into a new challenge and weight class just to do it. He can take his time and do it the right way, making sure that the move is one that he will stick to for the rest of his career.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/12/12/3758352/ufc-jon-jones-heavyweight-240-pounds
 
#2 ·
I respect him more for wanting to challenge himself. There's lots of challenges for him at Heavyweight, I think Cain is stylistically the worst match up for Jones so it's odd he called him out of all people. I would love to see what a more beefy Jones could do, right now I don't think he'd be able to impose his will on people like he does at LHW. I'd like to see Jones vs Stefan Struve for some reason.
 
#3 ·
Not a good move for Jones at all. He has very skinny legs and is not a heavyweight dude, period.

If you want to fight a heavyweight guy, fine, but don't try to act like you are a heavyweight guy, because you're not. You are slimmer and have skinny legs.

Having said that, fight a heavyweight guy at a catch weight...you're super talented, very spiritual, and will probably beat many heavyweights.
 
#5 ·
Now I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out ...

Legend says there exists a powerful ancient Indian magic that can correct skinny legs. A magic so powerful that not only can it cure skinny legs, it is also the only known counter for the dreaded curse of Montezuma's revenge after a particularly nasty batch of tacos.

They call it ... the SK'OO-WAT.
 
#4 ·
People are forgetting he's still only in his mid-twenties, his skills still haven't developed to their peak yet.

On the bright side, the moment he leaves 205, I really can't see anyone who beats Machida, so the sooner, the better.
 
#9 ·
I think it will be a while before Jones moves up to heavyweight permanently. And when he does, it will probably be because he wants to put on the muscle and challenge himself, not because he has outgrown the weight cut.

Call me crazy, but I think his build is just fine for light heavyweight, and I'm not seeing this crazy size advantage he has over everybody. Don't get me wrong, he's a big guy in the weight class, but I think his size is ridiculously exaggerated. I certainly don't think he is a true heavyweight that just decides to cut to LHW. I think people come up with that because their fan favorites are getting dominated.
 
#10 ·
Some guys have naturally slim legs. But why can't he put extra focus on making them thicker and stronger?

He can't put on any more muscle where he doesn't need it now. So I doubt he even works out his legs much now so he can still make 205.

He belongs at HW in a couple years. He is bigger than the current HW champ. I do agree that his punching power is ass for the HW division. He will have to become mega wrestler and use those elbows.
 
#11 ·
I think 240 is ideal for him. Pre-champion Jones walked around at 230 Lbs. add 10lbs of functional muscle, he'd be stronger, just as quick, still capable of going 5 rds while pushing a relentless pace. Jr is 6'4 243. So clearly that's an adequate size to be a champion at HW. At that HW, done properly I'd see my boy Jones taking the belt there too.
 
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