Jon Jones, contemplating retirement after UFC 309 against Stipe Miocic, is interested in a legacy-defining fight with Alex Pereira rather than facing interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, whom he feels hasn’t proven himself enough.
If Jon Jones decides to stick around after his fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, he’s eyeing a potential bout against a reigning champ. But it’s not who you might expect.
Rumors of retirement are buzzing as he returns on Nov. 16. At 37, the heavyweight champ feels he’s got nothing left to prove. So, he’s not just looking for any fight; there’s a particular Brazilian knockout artist catching his eye.
“If there were to be a fight worth it financially and for my legacy, it’d be Alex Pereira,” Jones told Kevin Iole. Both fighters are 37. Jones weighs about 235 pounds, a light heavyweight by his standards. Pereira? He walks around at 240.
“That fight would add more to my legacy than facing someone who’s hot today but gone tomorrow.”
Pereira’s short time in the UFC has been explosive: titles in two weight classes, victories over five former champs, and a five-fight win streak with four knockouts. He’s arguably one of the sport’s biggest stars.
On the other hand, the “young man” Jones refers to is Tom Aspinall, the UFC interim heavyweight champion. He’ll likely be watching from Madison Square Garden when Jones defends against Miocic.
Aspinall has repeatedly asked for a shot at Jones since beating Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title. But those requests have mostly been ignored.
Though Aspinall hopes the winner at UFC 309 will unify the titles, he probably won’t love what Jones said about that matchup.
“More than likely not [fighting Tom Aspinall],” Jones admitted. “I feel like Tom Aspinall hasn’t proven much yet. Sure, he won against Sergei [Pavlovich], but Sergei was just beaten badly by [Alexander Volkov]. I’m not here to let someone make a name off me.”
“I want to compete against guys who’ll be remembered as legends and champions when we look back in ten years.”
Despite Aspinall’s impressive 8-1 UFC record—all wins by knockout or submission within two rounds—Jones doesn’t see enough reason to pursue that fight.
Over his 16-year UFC career, Jones has seen many promising prospects rise and fall. He’s uninterested in chasing the next big thing.
“Remember when everyone thought Johnny Walker would beat me?” Jones recalled. “No disrespect to him, but we’ve all seen how his career unfolded.”
“I’ve been here too long to get excited about someone who’s hot right now. I’m focused on legacy—not random fights.”