Fans of the UFC are eagerly anticipating the return of former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones will make his debut in the heavyweight division at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 4th, 2023, where he will face off against former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 285. With the 265-pound title on the line, this fight promises to be a thrilling battle between two elite fighters.
In a recent interview with TMZSports, Jon Jones opened up about his mindset ahead of his upcoming bout. With the fight just days away, Jones revealed that he is determined to dive straight into the deep end and test himself against one of the best-moving heavyweights in the sport.
Sharing his preparedness for the upcoming championship match, 'Bones' said:
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"Im going for it, I'm going for it, uh, you know, a lot of people would have wanted to take a warm-up fight, I'm going right at one of the best talents the UFC has ever seen, one of the best heavyweights, one of the best-moving heavyweights the UFC has ever seen."
However, Jones is not just focused on this upcoming bout. He has also set his sights on the future in the division and a potential matchup against Stipe Miocic. Miocic is widely considered the greatest heavyweight of all time, and Jones sees him as the ultimate challenge to cement his MMA legacy:
"You know, Stipe Miocic would be a great challenge, you know... people consider him the greatest heavyweight of all time. And the opportunity to compete against such a man, I'd be honored. The opportunity to beat such a guy would be truly something special and that's what I want to do, I want to solidify my legacy. "
Check out Jon Jones' interview below:
With his unwavering confidence and ambition, Jones is ready to take on the biggest challenges the UFC has to offer and etch his name in the history books of the sport once again. Fans eagerly await his next move into the heavyweight division.
Jon Jones reveals his intentions behind moving to heavyweight
In a recent interview with Jimmy Smith on MMA on Sirius XM, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones revealed that he had grown bored with dominating the division for nearly a decade. Jones stated that the lack of fresh challenges in the light heavyweight division was a major factor that prompted him to make the move up to the heavyweight division:
"I stopped studying footage as much. I started just looking forward to another day at the office. The fear was gone - I didn't really fear these guys, and I wasn't happy with my pay either... I just wanted more. I wanted to be nervous again. I wanted to have fear again. I think fear is healthy, and now we're in this position. The heavyweight division has never been scarier, and I'm glad to be right in the middle of it."
Check out Jon Jones' comments on his move to the heavyweight division below: