Ben Askren has expressed doubts about Alex Pereira‘s ability to handle Jon Jones‘ wrestling prowess if he were to move up to heavyweight, suggesting that Jones could potentially end the fight in just two and a half minutes.
Ben Askren’s admiration for Alex Pereira is no secret. The guy’s got two UFC titles under his belt, after all. But, what if Pereira decided to step up a weight class? Would he stand a chance against Jon Jones in the heavyweight division?
Askren, a seasoned MMA pro, shared his thoughts on this hypothetical face-off. He did so on his podcast with Daniel Cormier. He reckons Jones’ wrestling skills would be too much for Pereira, despite his knockout power.
“People are curious,” Askren mused on his podcast, Funky & Champ. “They want to see if Pereira can fend off takedowns. If you can’t stop Jon Jones from taking you down, you’re done for. He’ll submit you.”
Askren recalled Pereira’s fight with Israel Adesanya. Pereira was taken down and remained there for a significant period. “It’s strange,” Askren continued. “Pereira is making a name for himself, possibly one of the best ever if he keeps winning. But there are doubts about his wrestling skills. How would he fare against a good wrestler? We don’t know.”
Askren pointed out that fighters like Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Sean Strickland didn’t attempt takedowns against Pereira. Jan Blachowicz did, and managed to keep Pereira down for a round. “These guys, they don’t try takedowns,” Askren noted.
“Pereira’s won all these fights,” Askren said. “But he’s never faced a true wrestler. If he fights Jon Jones, it could be over in two and a half minutes. Remember what Jon did to Ciryl Gane? Jon’s a big guy, a skilled wrestler, with excellent grappling skills. It’s a real possibility.”
Jones’ last fight was a quick submission victory over Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. Since then, injuries have kept him out of the octagon. He’s now eyeing a rematch with former champ Stipe Miocic.
Fans, including Askren, want to see Jones take on the next contender, interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. Aspinall earned his title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. “We want to see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall,” Askren stated. “Aspinall’s got the interim belt, Jon’s got the [other] belt. It’s a no-brainer. Let them fight. If Jon wins, then it’s Pereira vs. Jon.”
Askren concluded, “You can’t leave Tom Aspinall hanging with the interim belt.”