UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones says he’s vacating his belt and is proposing the UFC match up Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz for the title.
Jones has been in a contract squabble with the UFC after a superfight with heavyweight Francis Ngannou felt through due to financial issues. UFC president Dana White suggested that Jones asked for an “obscene” amount of money for the fight, and Jones has since said that White is lying to be fans about how much money he’s asking for to fight Ngannou.
A few days ago, Jones suggested that the UFC release him. On Sunday, the light heavyweight champion took to Twitter to suggest the UFC match up Reyes and Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title, suggesting he may be ready to vacate his belt. Jones also mentioned that he could return in 2021 for a fight against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Check out what the champ wrote below on Twitter.
#ESPN Reyes vs Jan For the UFC light heavyweight championship of the world. As of right now, I got nothing to really gain fighting either of them. Let me know if you guys want to set up a day in 2021 for that Izzy fight. Hopefully you guys will be willing to pay by then.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020
#ESPN Reyes vs Jan For the UFC light heavyweight championship of the world. As of right now, I got nothing to really gain fighting either of them. Let me know if you guys want to set up a day in 2021 for that Izzy fight. Hopefully you guys will be willing to pay by then.
Jones confirmed in a second tweet that he is indeed vacating the UFC light heavyweight championship.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020
To the light heavyweight title Veni, vidi, vici
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020
It’s a big move by Jones if he actually means it. Although Jones has been stripped of his belt in the past due to issues outside the Octagon, he has never been the one to vacate it himself. If he’s serious about this, then the UFC light heavyweight championship is now up for grabs again, and Reyes vs. Blachowicz seems like the logical fight.
Do you think Jon Jones will really vacate the UFC light heavyweight title?