Jon Jones is confident that he would beat Stipe Miocic if they were to fight.
Jones is set to defend his light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 247 this Saturday against Dominick Reyes. Should “Bones” win, many hope he will move up to heavyweight, which he has been reluctant to do in the past. Yet, it appears he is open to a move up to scrap the champ in Miocic.
“I feel like I really want to fight Stipe Miocic,” Jon Jones said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “I feel like I could beat him.”
Why Jones believes he would be able to dethrone Miocic as heavyweight champion is simple. He points to the two Daniel Cormier fights as evidence.
He also says he wouldn’t need a tuneup fight and instead would make his heavyweight debut against Miocic.
“I feel like I could totally beat him, just based on his performances with ‘DC’, our speed differences, my fight IQ, my versatility, my faith and confidence,” Jones said. “I think I’m the guy to beat him, for sure. And I want to strike while I’m feeling hot. I don’t think I would need a tuneup. I’m pretty tuned up. I’m pretty in tune. I feel great, I feel strong already.”
Although Jones and his team have said he has an easy time making light heavyweight, Bones is comfortable at heavyweight. He says he would fight around 230 pounds and be solid at that weight.
But, before he can even entertain a fight against Miocic, Jon Jones must beat Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
“Right now, it’s Dominick Reyes. I’d like to fight Miocic, but at the end of the day, too, I’m happy doing what I’m doing, man. But I’ve been cruising through some victories, man, and they said this: If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” he said. “So whether I get the heavyweight title, whether it comes against him, whether it comes a few years from now, I just learned to just be in the moment, be grateful for just where you are now. And the future will take care of itself.”
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This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/3/2020.