Jon Jones stole the show at UFC 309, winning the main event by knockout to retain the heavyweight title and break the record for the most successful title defences by a fighter in UFC history.
'Bones' stopped Stipe Miocic with a spectacular knockout finish in the third round at Madison Square Garden, prompting further calls for a superfight between the heavyweight title holder and Alex Pereira, who has successfully defended the light heavyweight title three times since defeating Jiří Procházka by knockout last November to claim the vacant belt.
Despite fan demand and Jones' own sights being set on Pereira, UFC head honcho Dana White has cooled on the idea.
Jones dominated fellow American fighter Miocic and finished him off with a spinning kick to the body. White indicated a willingness to consider booking Jones v Pereira before UFC 309 but the 37-year-old's performance changed his mind.
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“No, you know what tonight told me. That there’s no f****** way I would make the [Jon Jones] versus Alex Pereira fight… Jon’s too big, a great wrestler – did you see how he took Stipe down in that first round?" he said after the championship fight in the Garden.
“I like Alex Pereira, I like him personally, but it just doesn’t make sense to make that fight.”
Jones has his crosshairs firmly trained on Pereira, even speaking of relinquishing the belt to interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall rather than facing White's preferred opponent in the octagon. UFC's CEO isn't one for compromise and hasn't hidden his reasons for avoiding Jones v Pereira in the heavyweight class.
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“Pereira is killing it [at 205lbs], look at his age and what he’s doing right now, what’s the reason to go up [in weight] and fight a guy who is so much bigger than you and such a good wrestler."
Pereira, also 37, has a 12-2-0 record and ten wins by knockout, most recently to defend his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in October. The Brazilian stopped Rountree in the fourth round at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City and Jones, who admits he sees Aspinall as the bigger threat, wants the legacy fight in spite of White's reticence.
Topics: UFC, Dana White, Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Stipe Miocic
Chris Nee