When Laura Sanko prophesied Jon Jones' heavyweight dominance

MMA analyst and commentator Laura Sanko once predicted Jon Jones' run at heavyweight, stating that she expected 'Bones' to continue his dominance from light heavyweight into the new division.

Back in 2020, Jones vacated the 205-pound title as he had expressed a desire to step up a division to become a double champion. He would then take a three-year break in order to facilitate the move, opting to build his mass slowly and gradually rather than put the weight on quickly.

He then returned to the octagon in March 2023 to face off against Ciryl Gane for the then-vacant heavyweight title. Any speculation over whether Jones' supremacy at light heavyweight would transition over was promptly shut down, as he submitted the Frenchman in just over two minutes.

A year later, Jones would then prove it wasn't a fluke as a defended the title against Stipe Miocic, finishing the veteran in violent fashion after landing a spinning back kick in the third round.

While there were some who doubted whether the 37-year-old would be a success at heavyweight, one person who never foresaw anything else was Laura Sanko.

Speaking on the Morning Kombat podcast back in 2022, the MMA analyst firmly stated that she expected Jones to become the heavyweight champ. She said:

"Yes [to Jon Jones winning the title]. I do, I think that his skillset was extraordinary at light heavyweight and I think it's been such a long process. I would have been more worried about him rushing to heavyweight, [but] I feel like he's been sitting in this heavyweight body for a while now. His dynamism of his striking at light heavyweight, bring that in to heavyweight."

Check out Sanko's comments below (59:16):

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Aljamain Sterling explains how Jon Jones changed his outlook on fighting

Aljamain Sterling has revealed how Jon Jones has had a major influence on his career as a fighter.

Speaking in a recent video on his YouTube channel, 'Funk Master' explained that he had previously thought he had to be extremely disciplined in the build-up to a fight for the best chance of success. However, that mindset has now changed thanks to Jones.

He explained:

"I meet him, I'm thinking I gotta live the life of a monk, I gotta be super disciplined...Then I see him at the bar, maybe two or three fights into the UFC. He's probably got a fight the week later, and he's getting smashed, drinking, having a good time, and he's offering me a drink...I'm like, 'Nah, I got a fight in five weeks. You're fighting tomorrow, bro.' I'm confused, what the hell is happening right now? And this changed my mindset."

Catch Sterling's comments on Jon Jones below (4:14):