"That's a big deal" - Chael Sonnen plays matchmaker for Jon Jones

Jon Jones has a myriad of exciting matchups for his heavyweight debut, according to a former opponent of his.

'Bones' bested 'The American Gangster' Chael Sonnen via first-round TKO to notch the fifth successful defense of his light heavyweight crown.This transpired at UFC 159 in April 2013.

In a recent episode of his podcast Beyond The Fight, in the context of discussing Michael Chandler using callouts to set up his own fights, Sonnen said:

"Meanwhile at heavyweight, right. I mean it's just one of these, meanwhile at heavyweight! We're now on day six of an interview that is growing old with statements made by Jon Jones that he is ready but his phone is not ringing. The only thing he needs to happen before he gets in there and fight is somebody from the UFC has to call him.

"Tell him they would like him to come out and fight. It's very different and I can think of quite a few guys to get in there with Jon Jones that would be very interesting. Tai Tuivasa with the record, the ranking, the shoey, the entire nation behind him. Yeah, that's a big deal. He's gonna sit just fine on a poster.

"Not to mention, he's about to be in there with the former interim champion. If Tai gets the jump on Ciryl Gane. Which skill for skill, forget it. He's a cage fighter. This is the modern era Tank Abbott. If he gets the jump on Ciryl, it likely means because he knocked out Ciryl, his star is going to be even higher."

Watch the video below:

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Jon Jones' path to his heavyweight debut

Jones' last time competing in the confines of the cage took place in February 2020. He emerged victorious from the UFC 247 headline attraction over Dominick Reyes in a unanimous decision verdict that has been hotly debated by fans ever since.

'Bones' has been embarking on a path to make his long awaited transition from the 205-pound ranks to UFC's highest weight category. In apropos fashion, the transition itself has also gone on for a long time and has created a lot of waiting for the collective MMA space.

Rumblings of an interim heavyweight title clash with Stipe Miocic keep popping up for Jones' return but no official announcement has materialized as of yet.

Do you agree with Sonnen's thoughts on Jones versus Tuivasa? Give us your thoughts in the comments!