Jon Jones is contemplating relinquishing his UFC heavyweight title to pursue a “BMF” title fight against Alex Pereira, expressing frustration over the introduction of an interim championship in his absence due to injury.
Jon Jones is eyeing another championship after UFC 309. Just days before defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden, Jones made headlines with his comments. He expressed no interest in fighting Tom Aspinall and hinted at a potential clash with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead.
Despite some backlash, Jones remains firm in his stance. He doesn’t want to stall the division or hinder Aspinall’s chance at the title post-retirement. Interestingly, he seems open to relinquishing the heavyweight belt if it means pursuing another championship opportunity.
“It’d be cool to fight over the heavyweight championship but I would also willingly give up the heavyweight championship,” Jones shared with SportsNet. Walking away from titles isn’t new for him; he did so with the light heavyweight belt too. “Fighting Pereira for the ‘BMF’ belt, that would be cool,” he mused.
Jones proposing a “BMF” title fight adds an intriguing twist to this matchup. His legacy as one of the greatest fighters contrasts with Pereira’s reputation as a fearsome knockout artist. The current “BMF” champion, Max Holloway, holds a belt not tied to any specific weight class.
The “BMF” title has an interesting history: Jorge Masvidal first won it against Nate Diaz. Then Justin Gaethje claimed it after defeating Dustin Poirier, only to lose it to Holloway at UFC 300. Could a second “BMF” title emerge for Jones vs. Pereira? Who knows?
While Jones likes this idea, he’s irked by how things unfolded after dismissing Aspinall as an opponent. Aspinall may have an interim title now, but Jones questions its necessity. A torn pectoral muscle sidelined him in November 2023, leading to Aspinall’s interim title win over Sergei Pavlovich.
“The interim championship shouldn’t have been there in the first place,” Jones argued. The need for an interim title arose when he got injured, ensuring Madison Square Garden’s event retained its significance. But Jones believes Pavlovich and Aspinall shouldn’t have fought for it.
“They should have just been a replacement fight,” he insisted. In his view, introducing an interim title was premature and confusing for fans. He feels he deserved the chance to recover and return without an interim belt complicating matters.
“When you have a dominant champion like me,” Jones concluded, “there was no reason for an interim championship.” The fallout from last year’s Madison Square Garden event still lingers in his mind.