Light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been known to have an eye on potentially moving up to heavyweight, and a new rumor suggests that the UFC might be looking for put together a mouthwatering match-up with former champion Stipe Miocic.
That’s the word according to Chael Sonnen who claims that his ESPN co-host Ariel Helwani has heard talk that this is the match-up the UFC would like to put together.
“When Ariel says he is ‘hearing talks’, Ariel knows,” Sonnen said on YouTube. “Ariel is a journalist – he does not speculate, he says I’m hearing that both parties have agreed – or that both parties are interested, rather.
“Now listen to this one. Listen to what Ariel said. Jon Jones, at heavyweight, versus – and I know you’re all going to think I’ll say Daniel Cormier or Brock Lesnar, I’m not.
“Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic. Woah! That got my attention. Really?
“Stipe Miocic, who has kind of been sitting out and playing hard-ball, all of a sudden is willing to come to the table for Jon Jones? That’s compelling as hell to me.
“And it does serve the purpose of setting somebody big up for Daniel [Cormier] because whoever comes out of that fight – people are going to say ‘I want to see you take on Daniel.”
It’s hard not to share Sonnen’s enthusiasm for such a match-up, though you have to wonder if that’s really the fight that Jones will want for his first ever test at heavyweight and whether the UFC can really do more than just talk about it, but actually get both men to sign on the dotted line to make it become a reality.
