Jon Jones isn’t opposed to a heavyweight move, but he needs to see some serious green.
Jones is scheduled to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Thiago Santos this Saturday night (July 6). It’ll be the second title defense for Jones in his current reign. “Bones” vs. “Marreta” will be the UFC 239 headliner.
Jones Eyes Big Bucks For Heavyweight Shift
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto sat down with Jones ahead of UFC 239. The number one-ranked pound-for-pound fighter revealed what it would take to convince him to take bouts in the heavyweight division (via MMAFighting.com):
“I am interested in fighting at heavyweight but I’m also aware that there’s a lot of work to be done in the light heavyweight division. There’s a lot of big fights that people want to see me have in the light heavyweight division so there’s really no need for me to go to heavyweight. I’m doing well where I’m at, I’m making weight really easily and I feel like when the UFC approaches me about a fight they feel will be a megafight and they come with the numbers that would make sense for me to do that, I’ll totally do it. But right now the UFC I think is happy with me being a dominant light heavyweight champion and like we said, there’s a lot of really great new challenges. So there’s a lot of work to be done where I’m at and it’s gonna take that checkbook for me to bounce up to heavyweight.”
The current heavyweight champion is a familiar foe of Jones’, Daniel Cormier. “DC” will put his gold on the line against Stipe Miocic in a rematch at UFC 241 on Aug. 17.
