Ex-UFC champ Jon Jones still planning jump to heavyweight, awaits 'perfect opponent'

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has flip-flopped on the possibility of moving up to the heavyweight division over the years. Currently, however, he said it’s eventually going to happen.

Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), who’s currently serving a 12-month suspension following a failed drug test that took him out of July’s UFC 200 headliner with champ Daniel Cormier, has had plenty of time away from competition is recent years to think about how he’s going to spend his remaining time in the sport.

For Jones, who’s No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings (and No. 2 pound-for-pound), the main priority is regaining the undisputed 205-pound title he was stripped of in April 2015 following a hit-and-run accident that resulted in a suspension from fighting and another rethinking of his long history of poor decision-making.

“Bones” said his head is on straighter than ever before, though, and that’s largely been due to taking control of his marijuana and alcohol abuse issues. He’s expected to be cleared for a return to competition in July, and his first goal is reclaim the title currently in the possession of his biggest rival, Cormier.

If he completes that mission, though, Jones will look to hunt bigger game. He recently appeared on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast and said a move up in weight is inevitable; he’s just waiting for the appropriate time for his heavyweight debut.

“I do want to challenge for the heavyweight title, but I’m waiting for the perfect opponent,” Jones said. “I’ve beaten up a lot of heavyweights, man. Only people who train at (Jackson-Wink MMA) have seen that. I’ve picked up a lot of heavyweights. I’ve slammed a lot of heavyweights.

“I know that I’m capable. I just want to make sure I compete against the right stylistic matchup for me when I go to heavyweight and challenge for that title.”

Although fighting at heavyweight and attempting to join Conor McGregor, Randy Couture and B.J. Penn on the list of two-division UFC champs is important to Jones, so is making sure he does things right.

Jones is arguably the most physically menacing light heavyweight in MMA history, and he said the weight cut isn’t particularly difficult for him. He wants to make sure he doesn’t give up his key strengths against bigger and stronger opposition at heavyweight. Hence why he plans to carefully pick his shot.

“(Fighting at 205 pounds) – I get myself down to about 220 on fight week,” Jones said. “I get myself down to about 220 during fight week. Then I make sure the day of weigh-ins I cut about five pounds. It’s nothing. I’ve been doing it for so long now, and I know it’s my job to do it.”

“(At heavyweight) I’ll fight right around 230. I’ll try to eat a lot and make sure my endurance and speed is where it needs to be.”

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