The timing also seems set to tweak DC, lol. Jones could have done this at any time opening the division up for Cormier to go back. Nope, wait for him to retire. haha
The timing also seems set to tweak DC, lol. Jones could have done this at any time opening the division up for Cormier to go back. Nope, wait for him to retire. haha
Those others did it with the focus on being champ-champ. Conor didn't defend either belt a single time, and DC had one defense at HW before Stipe won it back, and a handful of defenses at LHW. Jon has lorded over LHW for a decade when not out causing trouble for himself. So I think for him, to the extent that legacy matters, everyone already knows he is the man at LHW even if you hate the guy. It is a bit different than the other three guys.I figured he might just be done with LHW, but the other guys who went up for a title shot without the intention of returning to the division (McGregor, Cejudo, Cormier) vacated or were stripped only after they won the second belt. Not that it matters to me, and perhaps it doesn't matter to him, but it seems like a better 'conquest' when you possess both belts at the same time.
Those others did it with the focus on being champ-champ. Conor didn't defend either belt a single time, and DC had one defense at HW before Stipe won it back, and a handful of defenses at LHW. Jon has lorded over LHW for a decade when not out causing trouble for himself. So I think for him, to the extent that legacy matters, everyone already knows he is the man at LHW even if you hate the guy. It is a bit different than the other three guys.
With him trying to bulk up and get bigger, I see him either trying to pick his spots at HW and cash in a few big money fights before walking away, or doing a one and done with Stipe and then retiring.
I think there are a lot of factors, but I think it's a pretty simple risk analysis going on.
The gap between Jones and the rest of the LHW division has clearly been shrinking, there aren't any big names to fight, and because there aren't any big names to fight the PPV numbers and thus the money will be relatively lower. Why risk losing his undefeated record (I know he technically has 1 loss) for that?
I think he would like his chances against Stipe or Francis, too. Against Stipe, the size difference would be minimal and Jones actually has a 4.5 inch reach advantage. Jones would be faster, is more varied in his attack (although he doesn't attack so much anymore), and he has a rock solid chin. Against Francis, Jones is better in everything except for sheer size and power, although he does have a 1.5inch reach advantage even against Francis. He's already the GOAT, but if he won the belt at HW against either of them, even his haters (of which I am one) would have to give it up. If he loses, it hurts his legacy a little but, but he at least keeps his undefeated LHW record intact and he would make a f***ton of money. And if they do Stipe-Francis 2, Jones fighting the winner would be the best case scenario for him. It's either the GHWOAT or the biggest, scariest puncher the sport has ever seen. I guess the only risk would be if Francis won, would they do the trilogy first? In which case, that's a long time to be sitting out.
I would also say, this is more significant than sitting on Twitter. However, it also doesn't mean he's actually going to fight at HW. He could easily comeback and get an immediate title shot at LHW after Reyes-Jan make a little bit of noise by becoming the champ.
I think you could actually make the case that he hasn't really been hit clean with a real big shot his entire career. It's quite impressive.I agree with this with one caveat, he hasn't been hit by the likes of Miocic or Ngannou thus far. We'll see how his chin holds up against one of those two.
Definitely. His head movement and footwork are 2nd to none, I'm just saying we really have no idea how he would fare if Stipe or Ngannou land a punch. It's not like they need to land a perfect one either, Stipe extinguished people backtracking and throwing off balance off his back leg, and we all know about what Francis can do. In saying that, I think I'd rather fight Francis if I was Jones, he is wild, not overly technical in his striking and rather one-dimensional in a sense that he looks for that big punch most of the time.I think you could actually make the case that he hasn't really been hit clean with a real big shot his entire career. It's quite impressive.
Most fighters wont fare well if Ngannou land's a punch.Definitely. His head movement and footwork are 2nd to none, I'm just saying we really have no idea how he would fare if Stipe or Ngannou land a punch. It's not like they need to land a perfect one either, Stipe extinguished people backtracking and throwing off balance off his back leg, and we all know about what Francis can do. In saying that, I think I'd rather fight Francis if I was Jones, he is wild, not overly technical in his striking and rather one-dimensional in a sense that he looks for that big punch most of the time.
I could see Jones dancing around and tiring him out with Francis landing barely anything, while Stipe on the other hand in addition to having an absolute bomb in his hands is also a methodical striker who knows how to pick his spots and if he can close the range he can do real damage to Jones without gassing himself.